Turning Over a New Leaf
by Maud Greyluck
Summary: AU. What if Mrs Weasley didn't killed Bellatrix but stuned her? How this one thing could affect Harry's new life? Being an Auror and bringing up his little godson puts Harry through a lot of changes and gives him a chance to properly deal with Sirius's...
1. Chapter 1: Godfather and Godson

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or anything what you can recognize from the books. I do however own the plot of this story but I don't have profits because of it unless you count improving my English as a profit.

**Summary:** AU. What if Mrs Weasley didn't killed Bellatrix but stuned her? How this one thing could affect Harry's new life? Being an Auror and bringing up his little godson puts Harry through a lot of changes and gives him a chance to properly deal with his beloved godfather's death. Harry will learn how much of Sirius is in him. A shameless H/Hr with study of character (don't worry I won't make them jump each other in the first chapter - it will take some time to get there).

**Author's note:** This story had been lying somewhere on my computer for some time and I spent a lot of time at thinking what I was supposed to do with this one. Feeling that JKR didn't let Harry deal with Sirius's death properly (and this story does it) I decided to post it. As for H/Hr - sorry to all people who don't like it but I write this story here and even Imperius won't make me turn it into H/G and R/Hr - go find some other story to amuse you (and falmes for the pairing would be used for toasts).

**So** **_read, enjoy and review (because I love to read your criticism and as long as you are logged in or I have your email I'm answering to your questions)._**

* * *

**Turning Over a New Leaf**

**Chapter one: Godfather and Godson.**

Harry sighed contently as he leaned against the back of his chair. His own chair, at his own desk, in his own cubicle. It was hard to believe that just a week ago, finally, after nine months of training he became an Auror.

After the end of the war he considered going to Hogwarts for his seventh year but when Ministry of Magic announced that everybody who wanted to take N.E.W.T.S could sit them – if they got good marks they didn't had to come back to Hogwarts and if they didn't they were allowed to come back to Hogwarts and take N.E.W.T.S with the students who were starting their seventh year in September. Hermione decided to take the exams, Ron followed her and Harry did too telling himself that if he failed he at least will know where he was falling behind.

With three Outstandings from Defence, Transfiguration and Charms and two Exceed Expectations from Herbology and Potions he was accepted into Auror training before he even managed to get over from first shock. Hermione passed all her exams with Outstandings. As for Ron, Harry didn't knew what had happened to him during exams but Ron failed Potions with Poor and got Acceptable from Transfiguration, with these marks he couldn't be accepted into Auror training and he refused to accept any other job. That's how Ron came back to Hogwarts with Ginny for seventh year when Harry and Hermione did not.

Hermione seemed troubled upon hearing Ron's decision but nevertheless she beamed at him saying that he should try if he was given another chance to make his dreams come true. Harry contemplated leaving Auror training but after short talk with Hermione, to whom he confessed his doubts he had been put straight on that idea.

Mrs Weasley of course offered him a room at the Burrow but Harry politely denied her and told her that he wanted to live on his own at 12 Grimmauld Place. He just needed to be on his own for some time besides he wanted to make the old house look more liveable than it was before and now he knew how he should start doing it. When she heard his decision, Mrs Weasley offered her help but once again Harry denied her request and told her that he and Kreacher would manage just fine.

Week after week he and Kreacher, and occasionally Hermione – when she had time off completely refurnished, repainted and repaired old house of the Black family. By the middle of December they decided that the house looked presentable enough to show it to Andromeda and ask her what she was thinking about it.

Harry gave Andromeda grand tour around the house and had to comfort poor woman three times before they even reached the kitchen. First time she burst in tears was when Harry showed her Black family tree, completely fixed with Sirius's and Andromeda's names and with Dora's marriage and Teddy's birth clearly visible on it. Second time she burst in tears when Harry showed her Teddy's bedroom, completely furnished, painted lavender with white details. The third time she burst in tears was when he told her, while they were going downstairs to the kitchen, that she and Teddy were always welcomed at Grimmauld Place.

Andromeda's reaction to Harry's general invitation to visit him whenever she wanted made him invite her and Teddy for Christmas which reduced Andromeda to tears for fourth time in a span of one hour. After he and Hermione managed to calm her down Andromeda agreed to spent Christmas and New Year at Grimmauld Place. When Andromeda and Teddy came back to her house that evening Hermione quickly reminded him that he should ask the Weasleys to join him at Grimmauld. Next morning when he ran into Mrs Weasley at Diagon Alley he asked her about it and he quickly added that Andromeda was coming too. Mrs Weasley upon hearing that Andromeda was going to spend Christmas with Harry at Grimmauld Place told Harry that she and Mr Weasley were supposed to spend Christmas with Charlie in Romania, where he moved back quickly after the war had ended, George and Percy were going with them and Ron and Ginny already wrote to Harry and Hermione that they decided to stay at Hogwarts just to have more time to study for N.E.W.T.s.

Hermione upon reading about Ron's decision decided to spent the Christmas with her parents in Australia. She was a bit worried about Harry spending Christmas with Andromeda, Teddy and Kreacher for a company but after he told her that he will be fine and that there was no need to worry about him she left for Australia.

Harry was very surprised to learn that Mrs Weasley lied to him about spending Christmas in Romania when Fleur and Bill showed up at Boxing Day with little knick-knack gifts for Harry, Andromeda and Teddy. However Harry had more important things on his head than worrying about Mrs Weasley's lie because he learned during Christmas break that Teddy unfortunately was a werewolf. It took Harry three days and a lot of nerves to persuade Andromeda into letting him at least taking care of providing Wolfsbane potion for Teddy. His final argument was that he was Teddy's godfather and whatever Andromeda liked it or not he could at least made sure that Teddy had Wolfsbane for the full moon.

Andromeda showed him how to apply Wolfsbane to Teddy and how he should ward the room for Teddy's transformation. Watching Teddy's transformation made him feel guilty, up until last few days he paid little attention to his godson and for last few days he kept kicking himself mentally for the lack of interest in Teddy's well-being. He felt like he betrayed the trust Tonks and Lupin put in him by not caring about Teddy.

When he confessed it to Andromeda next morning, when she was showing him how to heal Teddy's cuts and bruises, she told him that no harm was done because Teddy still had her and that Harry had more important things on his mind than taking care of Teddy.

Harry felt comfortable with having both Andromeda and Teddy around. Andromeda in a matter of few days became some sort of Aunt he always wanted to have. She didn't patronized him, didn't glared at him suspiciously and never had a problem with telling Harry anything about Sirius. As for Teddy, Teddy was well ... Teddy. Harry loved having the boy around and Teddy loved being around Harry.

They had great time together and all too soon Andromeda and Teddy were supposed to come back to her home. Harry realised that Andromeda felt very uncomfortable about coming back to her home and he quickly told her that if she felt better at Grimmauld she and Teddy could spend more time with him, after all the house was big enough to accommodate them and Kreacher was eager to have more people than Harry under his wing.

With the beginning of January Harry came back to his Auror training with lighter heart knowing that Teddy and Andromeda would spend at least next few weeks with him. He kept pushing himself up to his limits and paid little attention to things and people which wasn't either connected to his training or Andromeda and Teddy. This way he managed to get away from three Sunday dinners at the Burrow, forgot to write to Ginny and Ron and managed to get hit by Hermione whom he didn't recognized when he happened to run into her when he was doing the shopping at Diagon Alley.

January had gone and February had started when Hermione made him realise that he denied Mrs Weasley's invitation to come to the Burrow three times in a row. He was really surprised when she told him that because he thought that he denied Mrs Weasley's invitation only once thus he accompanied Hermione to the Burrow.

Whole visit was dull and Harry who never had problem with spending times with the Weasleys got a bit irritated by Mrs Weasley who, after being asked by Harry straightforwardly about her earlier lie told him that she wouldn't feel comfortable with spending Christmas with complete stranger. Harry barely managed to stop himself from saying that she never had the same problem with him or Sirius. Without Ginny or Ron around being at the Burrow was boring and shortly after supper he excused himself from spending more time by saying that he had to get up early in the morning.

February passed quickly and March was about to start by the time Harry and Andromeda realised that she and Teddy should be finally coming back to her home but once again Harry managed to persuade Andromeda into staying at Grimmauld if she didn't felt good at her old home. They came into silent understanding and by Teddy's birthday – spent together with Hermione, Andromeda and Teddy were completely moved into Grimmauld for good and Andromeda's old home had been put for sale.

Kreacher was very happy when Harry told him that Andromeda and Teddy were staying that out of pure gratefulness he spent a week at cooking Harry's favourite food and every time he looked at Harry pure adoration could be seen in elf's eyes.

Harry was happy that the occupants of Grimmauld Place were happy, Andromeda because she had someone to talk to, Teddy simply because he wasn't hungry and had his diapper changed and Kreacher because he had more people than Harry to take care of. However as soon as he told at the lunch with the Weasleys that Andromeda moved into his house for good the invitations to spent time with the Weasleys had been less frequent. Thankfully Hermione hadn't a problem with Andromeda and with passing time Harry realised that Hermione was spending more time at Grimmauld than at her own flat.

By the end of May Harry had finished Auror training and had been given two parties respectively, one from overjoyed Mrs Weasley, and one from thrilled Andromeda who couldn't decide if she should be smiling or crying and settled for a weird mixture of both which made Harry feel worried about her, thankfully Hermione knew what to do and after Andromeda had been feed with a glass of calming potion the party went on quite good.

The week had passed since then and just yesterday Ron and Ginny sent him and Hermione brief summary about their N.E.W.T.s, this letter had been addressed to Hermione and Harry together, of course there were other two letters too, one from Ginny to Harry and one from Ron to Hermione but these letters were meant only for one recipient eyes.

Ginny's letter took him by surprise and made him realise something which he constantly pushed to the back of his mind. While he mentioned to Ginny that Andromeda and Teddy were staying over at Grimmauld and that he was with them he never told Ginny that Andromeda's and Teddy's stay was supposed to be permanent. Of course Ginny wrote to him that it was so noble of him to spent time with Andromeda and Teddy at Grimmauld and in her last letter she was asking him, playfully, but still asking if he was hunting for a flat.

Now sitting in his cubicle, with five minutes spare to the beginning of his shift he realised that he didn't wrote Ginny back, he simply didn't had time to do it. Last few weeks he spent with his nose in the books since he wanted to pass his exams with flying colours and if he wasn't buried under the books he had been playing with Teddy who, to Andromeda's and Hermione's utmost horror, just discovered flying on a broom. Teddy's first flying lesson taught Harry one thing, hell had less fury than Andromeda and Hermione at their worst combined. After chasing Harry, who had been chasing Teddy through the whole house they made him swore that he won't let Teddy anywhere near flying broomstick till the boy turned at least four years.

Of course he had to tell Ginny that he intended to live at Grimmauld Place, he didn't furnished the house to his taste just to move out, besides the house was big enough to accommodate Andromeda, Teddy and Harry with Ginny and future Potters. Andromeda moving out was out of questions too, at least for few years, besides the house had been accommodated for a werewolf kid too and Harry felt better knowing that Teddy was in place where everybody was safe when the boy transformed.

He knew that he was supposed to at least warn Ginny about his decisions, quickly, in worst case by the end of the week and he solemnly promised himself spending the evening at writing long and detailed letter about his future plans.

He didn't knew that his letter wasn't meant to be send ... at all.

* * *

He spent last five hours at writing painfully detailed report from the hearing of Steven Spencer, American Muggle-born wizard who just this morning under Confundus tried to rob Apothecary. By the time he finished the there was the time for lunch and he decided to drag Hermione out from her beloved Magical Office of Law in Department of International Magical Cooperation for lunch at Diagon Alley.

He ran into Hermione on his way to her office. She was carrying big and heavy looking bag.

"Actually I was on my way out," she said when he asked her if she wanted to join him. "Andromeda asked me to spent afternoon with Teddy, she wanted to go shopping, a birthday gift for an old friend from Hogwarts, said witch comes from Republic of South Africa only for two days to London and Andromeda really wanted to meet with her."

"She should have told me," Harry mumbled.

"She could," Hermione nodded. "But Harry I work since November and you just started a week ago and my afternoon off doesn't looks like yours afternoon off in the eyes of our principals. Besides it's just paperwork, doesn't matter if I get through it in my office or at Grimmauld," she waved at her back.

"But if you need help ..." Harry started.

"I know, I know," Hermione pushed the button which opened the grille to the lift and she walked inside it before she added, "If I need help I will wait for Dromeda. See you at supper Harry!" and the lift's door closed in front of him.

"See you," he mumbled to the closed grille.

"Back from lunch?" he heard from behind his back Kingsley's voice.

"Actually I was on my way to," Harry said as he turned to face older Auror.

"Good, we can talk it over in that small snack bar on the corner," said Kingsley and he pushed the button of the lift.

Fifteen minutes later after two sandwiches for both of them with a take away cup of coffee Kingsley and Harry settled themselves better at the small table in the corner.

"So what's up?" Harry asked curiously.

"Problem," Kingsley muttered. "And quite big one on that. In the wee hours of the morning, specifically seven minutes after four o'clock in the morning one of the guards who was guarding prisoners reported that Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Rastaban Lestrange were found missing from their cells," he said gravely.

"What?!" Harry breathed out nearly chocking on his coffee.

"Keep your voice down!" Kingsley hissed at him. "Aside from special Aurors assigned to the task of finding them no one is supposed to know, don't look at me like that, it wasn't my decision," Kingsley said quickly upon seeing Harry's scowl. "We don't want to rise panic or any kind of attention to that matter since we know after whom they are."

"Is that person safe?" Harry asked quickly.

"I saw her leaving the Ministry," said Kingsley in a whisper. "Listen I'm telling you only because you know her better than I do and ..." Kingsley's voice was just barely audible whisper.

"Hermione," Harry breathed out as quietly as he could.

"In Bellatrix's cell we found her name scribbled on the wall, in blood. We don't know why exactly she is after her but as long as the Lestranges are at large she is supposed to remain under the watchful eye of an Auror," Kingsley said quickly. "You know her better than anyone else, you can turn into her shadow and make sure that she is safe, if you have to, keep her under house arrest. The thing is that as long as it is possible she isn't supposed to know that the Lestranges are after her," Kingsley's voice once again was barely audible whisper.

"You are turning her into a bait," Harry muttered.

"I know that it isn't pleasant but if we play that game wisely no one is going to get hurt and this three birds will come back to their cage," Kingsley said quickly.

"To escape again," Harry snorted into his coffee. "By the way how they escaped this time?"

"My assumption, and I will repeat that word again, assumption, is Mrs Malfoy or Mr Malfoy. If I'm right Lucius is going to spend the rest of his life in Azkaban and Narcissa is going to get grey hair there," Kingsley muttered.

"So you want me to be Hermione's bodyguard?" Harry asked. "Does it includes moving her into Headquarter?"

"Certainly. Because as we speak two Aurors are ruining the plumbing in her block. Her parents just left for a month worth vacation in New Zealand, won in a contest of I don't have a bloody idea what is it, under Confundus but it's for their own safety too, their house is getting general make over and at best it will be ready in a month. As for the Weasleys ... save Ron and Ginny the rest is suffering from very contagious Dragon Pox Flu ... amazing things you can get from a vial ... There is no way in hell that she will slip through the net," Kingsley explained.

"Actually there is," Harry sighed. "It's Hermione we are talking about Kingsley. She is going to realise that something is wrong if I start following her around, add it to everything you just told me and she will be so pissed off that I will get pecked by the birds before I even manage to say Quidditch," Harry explained.

"Birds?" Kingsley asked in surprise.

"Tell you later," Harry sighed. "So how I'm supposed to follow her around without her suspecting anything?"

"What marks you got from Concealment and Disguise?" Kingsley asked sarcastically.

"Out ... Sorry five hours with Spencer," Harry mumbled.

Kingsley sighed and he pulled something from his pocket and set in on the table. It was small rectangular wooden box. Harry opened it and saw five corked vials of potions.

"Hair re-grower," Kingsley pointed at pink potion. "Eye colourer, the colour of the potion is the same as the eyes after drinking it," he pointed at silver potion. "Hair colourer, works like eye colourer," he pointed at auburn potion. "Voice changer, I advise one drop if you take more she may start thinking that you aren't equip in your Quidditch gear, other Quidditch gear," Kingsley pointed at the smallest vial full of green shimmering potion. "I advise you starting with eyes, the re-grower and colourer of hair, in that order, voice at the end."

"What about ...?" Harry started.

"You work for Canadian Ministry of Magic, DMLE, they sent you to study the law here, most of things you already know, thing you would need to know you will get delivered today, straight to home somewhere between ten o'clock and midnight. Keep your bedroom window open. You start day after tomorrow ... Your new name is Felix Ignatius Morganstern, you are twenty-five and home schooled. You live in Little Whining, 4 Privet Drive, someone is going to make the area more liveable while you are at work so if she asks you to ask her inside you don't need to worry," Kingsley explained quickly.

"What about changing back to normal?" Harry asked.

"This one, one gulp, tastes disgusting so chose wisely the moments you drink it," Kingsley pointed at violet potion. "If you have to resolve to wooing her then do it, for her own safety is better to not know that the Lestranges are after her, oh and by the way, tomorrow you are going to receive your invisibility cloak."

"I have my invisibility cloak," Harry mumbled shocked by what Kingsley just said.

"You have your invisibility cloak but every Auror receive their personal invisibility cloak. Any questions?" Kingsley asked.

"What if I run out of one potion?" Harry asked stupidly.

"Then you will come to me and ask me if I wanted to join you in a trip to graveyard to visit the Lupins. Blunt as it is it's the only not too suspicious way," sighed Kingsley. "Anything else?"

"Yeah," Harry mumbled and glanced down at his watch. "Lunch time is over."

* * *

He spent rest of the afternoon at writing even more detailed report from Spencer's hearing, Kingsley turned the previous one down thus giving Harry good reason to spend the rest of his shift at rewriting his first report and thinking what he was supposed to do in near future. The wooden box had been hidden safely in his bag, draped in his robe just in case. The more he thought about the task ahead the more nervous he became an idea of trying to woo Hermione if everything failed seemed rather painful future, hence Hermione, if she ever found out, or Ron for the matter Harry could forget for good about his, how Kingsley put it ... Quidditch equipment. Somehow even Voldemort didn't seem to be as frightening as the task which lied ahead of him.

His shift was supposed to end at seven o'clock at the evening but he decided to leave earlier. He barely stepped outside is cubicle when the alarm went off and his name together with name Ernie McMillan's and Melvin Prewett's.

"Shit," Harry mumbled as he rushed together with Ernie whose cubicle was next to his to the lift.

"So what we know?" Ernie asked Melvin.

Melvin was red haired man in mid fifties and blue eyes. For as long as Harry knew him he looked like death warmed up. In his job he was as passionless as a call girl after a hard night's day with her latest client, the phrase Harry had picked from Philip Delano, his trainer from Auror training.

"A murder," said Melvin passionlessly. "We will find out the rest when we reach the place. Treen, Cornwall. Small inn at the end of town, 13 Rose Street. We apparate straight to the garden behind the inn. Keep eyes open wide. Change into muggle outfits"

* * *

Harry landed in the garden in one piece, Ernie followed him, but Melvin nearly knocked both of them flat into rose-beds. He dusted himself off and quickly went ahead.

"Once a git, always a git," Harry caught Ernie mumbling when Melvin's back disappeared in the doorway.

For once Harry couldn't agree more with Ernie. Only a half of hour away from time off...

Small, white-haired woman lead them to the room at the attic and opened the door to the 'policemen' letting them into the room where the murder was committed.

"It was two women, one brown-haired, the other black-haired. Brown-haired didn't looked good and black-haired told me that her sister needed rest after a long journey. She told me that she will probably spent whole day sleeping ... I didn't wanted to interrupt but my girl brought the towels. Brown-haired was stone cold and black-haired was nowhere to be seen," the woman was mumbling.

Harry mentally was cursing Melvin to the hell and back. Just the description was enough for him to run upstairs and check whose body it was. Black-haired meant only one person; Bellatrix and the other could be either Hermione, who was supposed to be at Grimmauld or Andromeda who actually was supposed to be out for the evening. If only that stupid git could be quicker...

"What name they gave when they booked the room?" asked Melvin calmly.

"Belladona, Belladona and Andrea Black, sisters," whispered old woman.

Harry felt like he had been hit with beater bat into stomach. Andromeda ... to the hell with secrecy and not raising unwanted attention ... Not caring that Ernie and Melvin were calling after him Harry ran into the room and upon seeing Andromeda's body nearly fainted.

He knew all too well how the grimace of someone who died from suffering under Cruciatus Curse, and from Andromeda's face it was clear that Bellatrix used Cruciatus at least thirty times ... if not more. On her forehead was etched big, bloody M. Suddenly the world swayed around Harry and before he knew what had happened the world went black.

How much time had passed between he fainted and woke up he didn't knew but at worst it was five eventually ten minutes but next thing he knew was that he was propped against the window frame, the window was open. Ernie and Melvin were at his side, Ernie looked worried and Melvin disgusted, the old woman was nowhere to be seen.

"You let your feelings overcome you Potter. If you want to be a good Auror you need to keep your private feelings away from the case or perhaps change the job," Melvin muttered.

"Won't happen again," Harry mumbled as he stood up weakly.

"I hope so," muttered Melvin. "Boy who lived or not I won't stand another insubordination. She was already dead and five minutes more wouldn't hurt her at all."

It took all Harry's power to not strangle Melvin right then. Only the thought about Teddy stopped him from going after Melvin's throat.

"Potter you will take the body to Boot for examination, stay with him and made the report of what you found, McMillan you will help me here," Melvin ordered. "I want the report on my desk in worst case at seven o'clock in the morning, did I made myself clear Potter?

"Crystal clear," Harry muttered.

Ten minutes later he portkeyed himself and Andromeda's body into St. Mungo's Hospital of Magical Maladies and Injuries. From all floors in the hospital only one floor was situated underground, Examination Room. Harry visited it once during his training and promised himself then if he could manage he would never come back there again. Life however was a bitch so there he was, walking through corridor after corridor to the Examination Room, Andromeda's dead body levitated in front of him. Finally after turning sixth corridor he saw the door to Examiner's room, he knocked on the door with his free hand.

"Just a second," called the voice. "I will come back later honey!"

Second later the door opened and Harry saw Terry Boot.

"What's up today?" Terry asked.

"Murder, shitty weather if you meant what's up there," Harry sighed.

"Bring the body into Examination Room," Terry waved at the only door in the room. "I'll be back in a second," he turned on his heel and marched to the enormous dresser and pulled clean robes from it.

In the meantime Harry levitated Andromeda's body to the examination table in the other room before he asked, "Can I use your Floo for a moment? I need to pass short message and it's not a matter for any owl."

"Sure be my guest, shall I wait for you or would you like me to start without you?" Terry asked as he walked into Examination Room. "You look a bit pale so it won't be a problem."

"No, it will take me a minute, two at worst," Harry shook his head and walked into Examiner's Room.

He immediately went to fireplace grabbed a handful of Floo powder and threw it into the flames. As soon as they turned green he fell to his knees and called, "Number twelve, Grimmauld Place."

He saw the kitchen, painted in olive and called, "Kreacher!"

"Master called Kreacher?" the elf was immediately in front of the fireplace.

"Kreacher is Hermione and Teddy inside the house, inside Grimmauld?" Harry asked quickly.

"Ms Granger and pup are in pup's bedroom Miss is reading him bedtime story," Kreacher said quickly.

"Good," Harry let out a breath he didn't knew he was holding. "Listen Kreacher under no circumstances Teddy or Hermione would leave the house, if you will have to bind or stun Hermione then do it but she can't leave the house until I say that she can. Also I want you to make sure that no one save me won't enter the house. I don't know when I will come back. Kreacher I trust you with their safety. I have to go now, if I can I will call when I may come back," he said quickly and pulled his head out of the flames.

He whipped the ash from his knees and sleeves before he grabbed a piece of clear parchment and pulled out quick quoting quill which Andromeda gave him for Christmas.

"Shall we proceed?" Terry asked quietly.

Harry nodded and started, "Case of Andromeda Cassiopeia Tonks, age forty-six, widow, daughter and son-in-law killed during final battle at Hogwarts grounds. Examiner Terry Brian Boot, witnessing Auror Harry James Potter. Mr Boot please proceed."

The quill started writing down what he said.

* * *

Andromeda's examination had been finished by ten o'clock and next two hours Harry spent at copying what his quill wrote down, Melvin's report was supposed to be at his desk at seven o'clock in the morning and Harry's shift was starting at seven o'clock, in the evening.

_**Mudblood and Mongrel will be next Potter**_ _... The body had been put under multiple Cruciatus Curse, judging by state of nerves number of curse was thirty-six eventually thirty-seven. Multiple broken bones, the stroke, heart attack ..._

The words had been swimming in front of his eyes. He was the last person to leave the Ministry of Magic and even quarter past midnight he didn't felt like coming home, at all. He chose to come back on his feet because it delayed passing information about Andromeda's death and in some way passing information that Andromeda was dead made it more real.

It didn't mattered that the rain was pouring from the sky and he started shivering from cold. Was it how Sirius was feeling after he realised that his friends were gone?

"Sirius," he whispered into falling rain as he suddenly stopped walking and just stood in the falling rain.

It had been three years, he realised, three years since Sirius had gone, since Sirius fell through the veil. And it was his own stupidity which lead into Sirius's death, if he realised that it could be a trap Sirius would be alive ...

Hot-headed, short tempered, rash, diving head first into the battle, not afraid of dying for people they loved dearly ...

What had happened, he didn't knew, he only knew that something inside him clicked, like a puzzle falling into place making perfect picture and for the first time since Sirius had died Harry didn't felt that Sirius was dead, like the hole where Sirius had vanished when he died filled again ...

"You think that the dead we loved truly ever leave us? You think that we don't recall them more clearly than ever in times of great trouble?" he remembered the words Dumbledore told him five years ago, when he and Hermione saved Sirius and when he found his father in himself.

Sirius broke out from Azkaban because he thought that Harry was in danger and for the same reason he spent a year at hiding in the cave in Hogsmead and dive into battle headfirst, a battle which cost him his life. Sirius did everything he could to protect his godson and Harry knew that he would do the same for Teddy. If Bellatrix wanted Teddy then she had to get through Harry first and he wasn't going to be merciful this time around.

With a newfound resolve he resumed walking in the direction of 12 Grimmauld Place after all he had his little godson to take care of, not to mention probably furious Hermione who will hex him into next week if he won't come with reasonable explanation for his actions from the evening.

* * *

**Awaiting criticism - like always. I'm replying as long as you leave me your email or you log in while reviewing. Bring my ego down ;)**


	2. Chapter 2: Hell Had No Fury

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or anything what you can recognize from the books. I do however own the plot of this story but I don't have profits because of it unless you count improving my English as a profit.

**Preview:** New developement makes Harry change the great masterplan. But something doesn't go according to the plan and innocent people get hurt. Faced with knowledge that he comitted a murder Harry reaches out to only one person who can understand him. Later Harry is forced to make a choice between what is right and what is easy...

* * *

**Chapter two: Hell Had No Fury.**

He barely managed to close the door behind himself before he had been slapped across the face so hard that he fell on the door.

"What the hell you have been thinking? I waited for five fucking hours locked up like the worst criminal this world ever had! Did you realised what I've been through for this five hours? I was going spare that something had happened to you! You could at least warn me but no all I got is that 'Master told Kreacher that Ms Hermione stays inside until Master says otherwise'!" Hermione yelled at him and slapped him once again.

"Let me explain!" Harry managed to call and tried to duck another hit

"I was worried sick, you weren't here, and Andromeda didn't came back too. Teddy started crying and I couldn't calm him down," Hermione complained.

"I'm sorry," Harry mumble.

"Sorry is not enough. Where the hell have you been Harry?" she asked again. "You look terrible," she added after a second.

"I will tell you in a moment, Hermione. Lets go to the kitchen," he motioned at her. "I'm cold."

About a minute later with a huge mug of tea in his cold hands he felt like he really came back home. Hermione despite still being angry at him dried his hair with warming charm and put quite big plate full of sandwiches in front of him.

"So," she said finally when she sat down in front of him. "I'm waiting for explanations. Where were you and where is Andromeda?" she asked impatiently, her hands were gripping her own tea cup.

Harry took a deep breath, let it out and took again before he said finally, "Andromeda had been murdered this evening Hermione. I just came back from the Ministry where I was finishing the report about her death."

The cup Hermione was holding broke into tiny little pieces.

"Andromeda is dead?" Hermione gasped in shock. "Murdered?"

Harry nodded.

"Who ... Who did it?" Hermione asked faintly.

He could tell her now, everything ... but he knew Hermione and also knew what could happen to him for insubordination and somehow idea of spending one year in Azkaban wasn't something he really fancied, especially now with Andromeda gone. So he decided that he could deal with angry Hermione later.

"We don't have an idea Hermione," he lied. "We are trying to find her murderer but we need time," he said and paused. "Can I ask you to do something for me?" he said finally. "I would feel a lot better if you spent next few days here with Teddy, he likes you and ... with Andromeda gone ... I'm worried that something may happen to him," he asked quickly.

"But my work ..." Hermione started protesting in a voice which told Harry that she was protesting just for the matter of protest itself not because she really meant it.

"You told me yourself that you taking your time off doesn't looks like me taking my time off and you can do a lot at home. Please Hermione do it for me, for Teddy," he pleaded.

She was silent for a moment and then she said quietly, "If you are putting it like that then I guess I can spend some time with Teddy."

Bingo, he smiled to himself, that was all he needed.

By the time Hermione went to sleep Harry had new plan formed.

* * *

Next week he spent at dividing his time between Teddy and his work. In so far he, Kingsley and few other Aurors managed to successfully capture Rudolphus and Rastaban. All they needed was two small cauldrons of Polyjuice Potion with Hermione's hair and her dress robes she wore to work.

Since it was his idea and the team didn't had any woman in it Kingsley suggested that it would be Harry who would turn into Hermione. And since Kingsley's opinion had been backed by every man in their group Harry had no other choice than to keep going with his own plan.

The first time he changed, the same evening when he had to try on Hermione's shoes and as Kingsley put it 'live up to the role he was supposed to be playing' he nearly ended flat on his face. Also the thought about wandering in Hermione's clothes, more specifically underwear had been quite terrifying, especially what Hermione would to him once she find out ... assuming that she ever would find out.

First three days after he started 'being Hermione' he ran into Rodolphus in the middle of the street just outside the Leaky Cauldron which was absolutely lucky shoot but neither Harry nor his co-workers were complaining. Finding Rastaban proved to be more harder and took them another three days but sudden visit in Godric's Hollow proved to be quite worthy since they found Rastaban at the graveyard..

However the new week was about to start and Bellatrix was nowhere to be found.

* * *

"Stop grinning Kingsley. I might be wearing a bra now but my wand– eye coordination is still good," Harry muttered as he – third time in last hour – managed to get his bra unhooked. After fumbling with the hook he managed to hook it up again and he smothered his skirt.

"Are you suggesting that Hermione isn't good at throwing spells?" Kingsley asked jokingly.

"I didn't said that, I said that despite wearing a bra and high heels I still can throw hexes at the target I want to hit," Harry muttered. "It has nothing to do with looking like my best friend ... more like with wearing her underwear."

"Speaking about Hermione, how she is doing? I mean now, with Teddy?" Kingsley asked curiously.

"Quite good. Teddy loves her and she loves him, personally I think that she doesn't mind rubbing on him. As for her work I hand her reports to her head of the office and get other topics for her to work on in return. But I think that she is suspects that instead of chasing Andromeda's murderer I got kicked into much more lighter case ... And as hard as it was I decided to keep my mouth shut," Harry sighed.

"Did she tried to spy you?" Kingsley asked.

"She did, thankfully I managed to confund the bag where I'm hiding everything so only I can open it," Harry admitted.

"You will have to let her out in two days, reading of Andromeda's case in Social Liaison Office is scheduled at Sunday morning Harry. You are supposed to show up on it with Teddy and it would be good if she show up too. You are keeping Teddy, aren't you?" Kingsley asked cautiously.

"Of course that I'm keeping Teddy. Whom else he has beside me? Bellatrix and Narcissa and you and I know very well that they would kill him rather than bring him up," Harry huffed angrily.

"Complications would arouse because of him, I'm just warning you Harry so you don't feel surprised when they suddenly decide to fire you," Kingsley said sombrely.

"Are you threatening me?" asked Harry warningly.

"I do not. Forgot that we were at the same side of war?" Kingsley hissed at him. "I'm just saying that Dolores Umbridge managed to plant the seed deep enough that it would take time before people would accept werewolves, especially these born as werewolves and Boy-Who-Lived or not you are going to run into few obstacles like that, Harry," Kingsley tone was compassionate.

"Fuck Dolores Umbridge," Harry huffed. "She went down with past Ministry of Magic Kingsley. And I like to see her trying to do something to Teddy, if she as much as breaths in his direction I would drag her personally to Wizengamont. Being the Boy-Who-Lived has it's perks and if someone dares to hurt my godson is going to learn that nobody messes with Harry Potter without consequences," Harry slammed his left fist against the table and immediately regretted doing it.

"I remembered hearing that tirade before," Kingsley muttered. "Exactly like Sirius, if that woman dares to hurt him I'm going to show her why they called me Sirius 'Lighting-strike' Black and Voldemort's right hand. McGonagall even contemplated letting him under Polyjuice into Hogwarts to put Umbridge straight in her place but in the end decided against it."

"Lighting-strike?" Harry asked.

"He had a good aim, often needed to hit only once to succeed. Mad-Eye's best student. People were foretelling that he was going to make Head of Department of Magical Law Enforcement someday ... but then you know what had happened and everything went to hell," Kingsley said.

"Azkaban," Harry whispered.

"Azkaban. Many couldn't believe it, the rest kept telling that it was so obvious that only people who had been confunded by him couldn't realise that it was obvious from the start that he was just like his family. In some way they were right, these who kept telling that he bewitched people. You have to understand that both, you and him started the training at the same time and at the same time finished," said Kingsley.

"How?" Harry asked.

"Did I know?" Kingsley asked. "I was year younger than him and by the time I finished my training I had been sent to work with him as my field trainer, to put it on visuals he was the same to me what Melvin at this moment is for you. Pain in the butt ... He quickly made the head of the division, and somehow still managed to divide his time between work, the Order and spoiling you rotten. On the other hand he looked like death warmed up back then," Kingsley explained.

"You can't really blame him," Harry said quietly.

"I don't. You miss him, aren't you Harry?" Kingsley asked and when Harry said nothing he added. "So Ms Granger I believe that I should escort you to Ministry of Magic," he stood up and offered him a hand with a cheeky grin.

"Sod off Shacklebolt," Harry muttered but accepted offered hand nevertheless.

They barely set their feet outside when Harry spotted her walking in their direction. Hermione was dressed up in muggle jeans and t-shirt, her hair had been pulled into a messy ponytail. In front of her, in his pram, was sitting Teddy, he was gurgling happily and kept smiling at everything around him. Teddy's hair were brown this afternoon and if Harry could see him properly he had green eyes today.

Automatically Harry pulled out his invisibility cloak and he and Kingsley hid under it. It's been really cramped but all what was really important was hiding from Hermione sight since Harry still didn't want to think what would Hermione do to him once she find out that he was posing as Hermione for a week.

In the meantime Hermione got even closer to them and when Harry thought that the things couldn't get worse than they already did he heard someone's voice calling Hermione's name.

"Hermione!"

Hermione upon hearing her name for a moment tore her eyes away from Teddy.

"Mum! Dad!" she exclaimed upon seeing who was calling her.

"New Zealand? Huh?" Harry muttered to Kingsley.

"I don't have a bloody idea how they got there, it was supposed to take them at least two weeks to come back to England," Kingsley muttered back.

"Hermione ... Who is that boy?" asked Hermione's father upon seeing Teddy in the pram.

"Teddy. Harry's godson. Teddy say hello to my parents," Hermione picked Teddy up from the pram and took him in her arms. Teddy smiled at Hermione's parents and snuggled closer to Hermione.

"So this is Teddy, Harry's son," said Mr Granger.

"Godson," Hermione corrected him quickly.

"You could have trick us with the way the kid looks like. I remember that kid Harry quite well. Black hair, green eyes. And Teddy here looks exactly like your kid would look like. Care to explain that Hermione?" said Mrs Granger quickly. "We weren't in England for a year and the kid seems to be around one year old, fits perfectly to our Australian trip."

Hermione's mum was thinking that Teddy was his and Hermione's son. If Harry didn't wanted to see next day he would burst in maniacal laugh. Honestly, he and Hermione ...

"Teddy is Metamorphomagus mum. He can change his appearance at will," Hermione explained. "You should have seen him yesterday when he turned his hair lime green ... it took us two hours to talk him into changing his hair into something more normal," Hermione hugged Teddy tightly.

"You seem rather affectionate with that kid considering that you aren't his mother as you claim so," said Mr Granger suspiciously.

"Harry asked me to keep an eye on him for a while. His grandmother was murdered week ago and Harry tries to find the murderer dad. Besides I don't complain, Teddy reminds me every now and then to get out for a while. Right Teddy?" Hermione cooed.

"Stays at home? Huh?" Kingsley muttered to Harry.

"Didn't go farther than to the garden, I swear," Harry hissed at Kingsley.

"I hope so," Kingsley hissed back.

"So what about you?" Hermione asked.

"Oh we just came back from the trip to New Zealand," said Mrs Granger.

"New Zealand?" Hermione asked in shock.

"Only to find our home in total mess. Nothing went missing, it's only in horrible disorder and the best is that no one from our neighbours saw even a single person coming inside it," Mrs Granger continued.

"I'm going to kill that git, I told him to pick a cruise but no, he just had to pick a flight," Kingsley muttered. "Now we have a small problem because Hermione is here, so are her parents, you are supposed to be Hermione and right now at work. Hermione is out in the open, so is Teddy. All we need right now is Bellatrix and knowing life she won't have a decency to show up."

* * *

As it turned two hours later Kingsley was very right, they spent two hours first at the street listening to Hermione's conversation with her parents and then in a Muggle restaurant where she asked her parents to join her and Teddy at lunch. Thankfully in case of emergency one of the Aurors who was helping Harry and Kingsley had a vial of Polyjuice Potion so Harry managed to escape unscratched and by the time Hermione – who had been followed by Kingsley – got home with Teddy he had been already dressed in his usual clothes and was waiting for them.

He and Kingsley agreed that for Hermione's and Teddy's sake it would be better if Harry spent next day with Hermione and Teddy.

These evening Harry listened to Hermione telling him about hers and Teddy's day half-heartedly since he already knew that she ran into her parent in London. He however remembered to interrupt her just in right moment to invite himself and Teddy to the Grangers for dinner at Sunday.

He spent half of the night hoping that Hermione's parents were safe and that Teddy decided to not have brown or black hair tomorrow... Lime green would be very welcomed this time.

He woke up at three o'clock in the morning to Teddy's shrieks of terror. By the time he realised that he was a wizard and that he could apparate he reached Teddy's bedroom which was exactly under his. When terrified boy was secured in Harry's arms Harry realised something else, there was no way that Hermione didn't heard Teddy's shrieks and since her bedroom was on the same floor as Teddy's.

With Teddy still sobbing in his arms Harry walked into Hermione's room. To his sheer horror he realised that Hermione's bed had been untouched, her books and quills had been lying around. It meant that she was there for some time but she had to leave the house without him knowing. The idea where she may be didn't made Harry felt good either. He quickly called Kreacher and told him to calm Teddy down and if he managed, to put the boy to sleep. After Teddy was under Kreacher's care Harry apparated to his room to take his wand and quickly change his pajamas into robes before he apparated to Hermione's parents house.

First thing he saw was two young Aurors, barely older than him lying on the lawn, throats slit open, invisibility cloak under which they were hiding had been torn in several places. They were dead, probably for a long time.

He sent Patronus to Kingsley with quick and short message: _The Grangers are in danger! Two Aurors dead_! When he knew that he could count on eventual back up, not that he needed them he realised something else. He couldn't see the house, technically he knew that Hermione and her parents were inside but he couldn't reach them.

Five minutes later when Kingsley and four of his companions arrived at the scene he told Kingsley what had happened.

"They can be under Fidelius but then again Kirks and Fallagan are unexplained," said Kingsley.

"Unless it was Bellatrix who put Fidelius in the first place," Harry whispered. "She could do that, Kingsley, if she wanted to ..." Harry stopped because that thought was too terrifying.

He had failed, again. Not only as an Auror but as a friend ... if there was a way to get inside ...

Suddenly the door from nowhere opened and something, a lump, fell on the ground just in front of it. The lump started moving slowly in their direction before Harry realised that it was Hermione, covered in blood, in torn clothes and with hair so messy that even Harry's looked better. She was sobbing and shaking like a leaf in the wind.

Before he realised is he was at her side and put an arm around her protectively.

"Bellatrix!" Hermione gasped. "My parents," she sobbed. "Inside."

He gathered her into his arms and intended to take her away from the house. He just made the first step in the direction of the others when a green jet of light zoomed just mere inches away from them – it hit the car. He turned around, facing Bellatrix. Hermione was still in his arms. His hand clenched on his wand.

"Avada Kedavra!" Bellatrix called, her wand pointed at Harry and Hermione.

Another green jet of light zoomed in his direction and right in that moment he felt that something weird was happening and not entirely on his own volition he opened his own mouth to speak but didn't heard himself saying anything. Bellatrix's Killing Curse collided with another jet of green light in the air and impact of both crashed into Bellatrix. Before Harry even realised it Bellatrix fell dead to the ground.

"Harry!" Kingsley's alarmed voice snapped Harry out of his reverie.

"What had happened?" Harry asked weakly.

"You killed Bellatrix Lestrange," said Tobias Hopkins. "The Killing Curse came out from your wand but we didn't heard you saying it even if you opened your mouth."

"Lawson. Maple. Foster. Get inside and look for her parents," said Kingsley and then he turned to Harry. "Harry do you realised what you just done?"

"Killed in self defence, boss," said Hopkins. "Lestrange was lost case already. She never show remorse for what she had done through all this years in Azkaban and frankly her current state is the best for her and the world. She should have seen it coming."

"She killed Sirius," Harry whispered. "And Andromeda. She tortured Neville's parents. She killed and tortured so many others..." finality of what he just done sinking.

"Her parents are dead," Harry heard Lawson somewhere next to him.

"Take her home and wait for me there Harry," he heard Kingsley saying.

* * *

It took Harry and Kreacher a long while to force calming potion down Hermione's throat but finally she was asleep as was Teddy who as soon as he could curled on her side.

After he made sure that they were sleeping soundly Harry – not really knowing what he was doing walked into Sirius's bedroom and sat on the bed.

"I killed Bellatrix Lestrange," Harry said at loud. "I killed the murderer of my godfather and her own sister. I killed the woman who was responsible for Neville's parents madness. If I didn't killed her she would kill me and Hermione. I killed in self-defence ... I'm not a murderer ... am I?" he fell backward on Sirius's bed and stared at the ceiling. "I'm not a murderer," he repeated tiredly and he drifted off.

* * *

He woke up with horrible headache only to find a small owl sitting on his stomach. The owl had a small piece of parchment in her Beak. Harry took it, opened it and read:

_Harry,_

_There will be no case against you but please next time refrain from using Killing Curse. _

_We agreed that you killed in self-defense._

_You have a week off work. Stay with Hermione and Teddy, they will need your help now._

_See you next Monday._

_Kingsley_

He glanced at the window. Sun was dawning and early birds were singing. The day was starting but he didn't felt like facing it right now.

But he had to. He had to get up and be strong, for Teddy and Hermione.

He got out from the bed and went to the bathroom. He turned the tap with cold water on and bend himself over the sink to wash remains of sleep. Then he straightened himself to his full high and looked into the mirror.

His hair were still jet-black, a little less messy than it used to be when he was younger, and were touching his shoulders. His eyes were still almond-shaped and green. His cheekbones were high and he saw ghost of stubble on jaw.

Suddenly something in his reflection started changing. Hair grew longer, eyes turned from green into grey, cheekbones got even higher and the stubble got longer. His reflection turned into Sirius.

"The first is always the worst Harry," said Sirius in the mirror.

"First?" Harry breathed out, his voice sounded to himself about an octave higher than normal.

"First killed," Sirius answered. "My first used to give me nightmares for weeks afterwards."

Harry closed his eyes. He was imagining it, he was imagining Sirius in the mirror. It was just his imagination running wild, he had a bad night and he felt like shit but for sure he wasn't seeing Sirius in the mirror.

"Bad news, I'm still here. Good news, you are sane," he heard Sirius's voice.

He opened his eyes and he saw Sirius who was watching him with amusement clear on his face.

"How?" Harry asked and pointed at the mirror.

"It's long ..." Sirius started. "... and complicated. But in a nutshell ... You died," he said as he scratched his stubbly jaw.

"I died?" Harry asked weakly. "But I just received a letter from Kingsley..."

Sirius sighed heavily before he said, "Well not exactly, but technically you were killed. Voldemort used Killing Curse to kill you. You didn't died but when you found yourself in between these two worlds you left part of the gate open."

"Gate?" Harry mumbled.

"You died but you are still alive. You were dead but you came back to life ... Merlin, this is hard," Sirius sighed. "Wish that my father could explain it to you ... he was good in explaining things, I have to handle him that ... You see, you were in between life and death ... you also had contact with Resurrection Stone ... you touched death so closely that you can reach the dead."

"I can reach dead ..." Harry whispered.

"You can reach these who died if you concentrate good enough, in times of need or when you specifically wish to see that person ..." said Sirius.

"Is this happening for real or are we just in my head?" Harry asked.

"Of course that it's in your head Harry. You are dreaming, though the contact we are having is real," said Sirius. "And since it is your head Harry ... could you change scenery and let me out from the mirror?"

Harry smiled widely, that was Sirius he should knew. He looked around and instead of bathroom they found themselves in the kitchen.

"Nice," Sirius commented as he sat down on the nearest chair. "Coming back to what I said before you changed the subject ... First dead is always the worst ... you will get used to it by the time you kill the third, thought nightmares will be bloody annoying for few night following that day."

Harry sat down in the chair opposite to Sirius and stared at him. Then it hit him, Sirius was with him, sitting in front of him and looking like ... like he could be looking if Sirius was alive now.

"Do I have something on my face?" Sirius asked suddenly. "I know that I should shave but ..."

"No," Harry shook his head. "You have no idea how I'm happy to see you Sirius. Like ... like that ..." Harry mumbled.

"I prefer myself in slight younger version but you are the boss here and if you imagine me in a pink tutu I have nothing but follow your choice," Sirius grimaced on that thought. "I hope that you will never do it."

Harry snickered and said, "I promise I will spare you that horror."

They sat in silence, just watching each other faces, like neither could get enough of seeing the other.

"I killed Bellatrix," Harry broke the silence. "She killed you, and Andromeda, and Hermione's parents and she..." Harry started mumbling.

Sirius raised one hand to stop Harry from saying more though for a longer moment he didn't said anything before he said quietly, "So you killed Bellatrix Lestrange ... You killed notorious murderer and torturer ..." Sirius's eyes caught Harry's and Harry shivered at the intensity he saw in them. "You killed in self-defence ... and if you didn't she would kill you and Hermione ..."

Harry nodded without braking the contact with Sirius's eyes.

"Fifteen years in Azkaban didn't made her saner Harry, not to mention that she was already a fruitcake by the time she got there. Inbreeding did it part, so did Voldemort's brainwashing. She would not change," Sirius said firmly. "Thought I have to handle her that, she was Voldemort's one of the most faithful servant, unlike Regulus."

"He changed," Harry said quietly.

"I know," Sirius sighed and he smiled tiredly. "You two have so much in common."

"Pardon?" Harry asked.

"You got his nose," Sirius snickered. "To James's utmost horror, you had your grandmother's nose, her oldest brother had the same nose and mum kept telling us over and over that Reg got his nose after grandfather Pollux."

"We were related?" Harry asked.

"Distantly. We," he waved between himself and Harry, "are second cousins and since James's mother was my ... grandaunt ... you and James got few features from Black family. According to James, you got the worst genes. Myopia, general scrawniness and black hair ..."

"How come that you never told me about it before?" Harry asked.

"You never asked and you were too young to be traumatized like that," Sirius said simply.

"Did you knew about Teddy?" asked Harry suddenly.

Sirius nodded as he said, "I got to know him better after Remus and Dora passed away. You can't shut them up. Teddy is the only thing they are talking about currently ... in so far managed to drive everyone into breaking point."

"So you see each other after ..." Harry mumbled.

"It's similar to life in some way. People you cared about, felt close to ... We stick together ... I joined James and Lily, sometime after I died I saw my father few times ... run into Ted too ... then Remus and Dora ... saw Fred too ... Andromeda joined us too. Quite weird concoction ... You get used to it after some time and in times you have enough of someone's presence you just get out and go to someone else," Sirius said quietly.

"I miss you Sirius," Harry said suddenly.

"I know," Sirius smiled at him sadly. "I miss you too but I know that someday we will see each other again. You grow up into a great man, and while it saddens me that I wasn't there when you needed me the most I couldn't be more proud from you," his smile grew wider even if his eyes were sad.

"You were great," Harry reassured him. "You were the best godfather I could ask for," he whispered and reached across the table to grasp Sirius's hand. Sirius's hand was solid and warm, Sirius squeezed it back. "I wish that I will be like you with Teddy."

"You will make great godfather. You don't know how proud you make me Harry. For everything you did before but especially more for last few months," Sirius said with a smile.

"Thank you," Harry whispered. "Will I see you again, before I die I mean?"

"I'll be with you Harry, whenever you will need me I'll be with you. Always," Sirius smiled at him.

They didn't spoke after that but just having Sirius by his side made Harry felt better.

* * *

He woke up and immediately realised that he wasn't alone He had been pinned by something to the bed and his right arm was numb. He opened one eye and saw sleeping Teddy, the child was lying on his stomach with a thumb in his mouth, a quick glance on the right made him realise that his arm was pinned by Hermione. Further inspection of the surroundings told him that he was still in Sirius's room and that all three of them were covered by a quilt.

"You weren't in your room," Hermione said quietly. "I was worried ..."

"I needed to think about something," Harry answered as he run his free hand through Teddy's hair as he tightened the other on Hermione's shoulder.

"You saved us, again," Hermione whispered. "Thank you."

"You are welcomed," Harry whispered back.

"How did you slept?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Better than I expected," Harry answered truthfully thinking if he should talk to Hermione about Sirius and decided to don't say anything which could make her sadder. "I dreamt about Sirius."

"You never dreamed about Sirius ... not after he died," Hermione whispered.

"I know," he said. "He told me that I will be great godfather.

"You will be great godfather Harry," Hermione said quietly. "I feel it."

"Thank you Hermione," Harry mumbled awkwardly.

"There is nothing to thank me for Harry," Hermione said. "Can I tell you something? Some could consider it as stupid but ..."

"Go ahead," Harry murmured.

Hermione took a deep breath before she said slowly, "Four years ago ... when you just arrived here ... I decided to make a simple test ... I remembered something which I read during my stay with my parents ... How people we really care about affect our own behaviour ... I decided to test this theory here ... and ..."

"And?" Harry prompted her to continue.

"I realised how much you and Sirius were alike ... and ... and the older you get the more like Sirius you become ... and tonight ... at my parents place ..." she paused then after a deep breath continued. "Tonight I saw it more clearly than ever ... and for a moment ... when I thought that ... I swear that I saw it even if it was even less than a second ... your eyes had changed ... They were green and for a moment they turned grey ..."

"My eyes had changed?" Harry asked, he rolled on his right side carefully to not waked Teddy who after Harry's change in position was between him and Hermione.

"For a moment," Hermione said. "I think that I was the only one to see it, well maybe Bellatrix saw it too."

"Sirius told me to not feel guilty over her," Harry whispered and glanced at Teddy to avoid Hermione's eyes. "I ..."

"Sirius was right Harry," Hermione whispered. "She did so much harm and never showed remorse and if you didn't ... she would kill us ... Think what could happen to Teddy if you were gone?"

"Remus and Dora would skin me off, and Andromeda would castrate me," Harry gave her small smile.

"They could ..." Hermione mumbled.

"They would ... Sirius told me that they wouldn't shut up. All they talk about is Teddy this, Teddy that."

Hermione glanced at him quizzically.

"He told me that they managed to drive everyone to breaking point," Harry smiled.

"You talked with Sirius in your dream about Bellatrix and Teddy?" she asked quietly.

"And death," Harry whispered. "And that I got my nose after Regulus, actually my grandmother who was Sirius's and Regulus's great aunt."

Hermione remained quiet for a second before she whispered, "I wish that I could dream about my parents like that ... I loved them dearly and yet I always felt like ... like the older I got the farther I got from them ... like there was nothing to talk about ... and yesterday ... after you went to sleep I apparated there and we talked like ... like the hollow which was separating us for so long had vanished ... Mum was so happy that you asked if you could come with Teddy ..." Hermione's voice broke down and Harry realised that she started sobbing silently.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry Hermione."

"You have nothing to be sorry for Harry ... it was me ... I failed them ... if it wasn't for me they would still be alive Harry," she sobbed.

"You didn't failed them Hermione," Harry whispered as comfortingly as he could. "It was me who failed ... both as a friend and Auror," he admitted.

"I don't understand," she mumbled tearfully.

"I was supposed to protect you," Harry said quietly. "I was appointed to protect you," he sat up on the bed and when Hermione sat up too, facing him, he continued. "I knew about the Lestranges escape ... I was one of the few who were informed ... because we knew after whom they were ... Kingsley appointed me to turn into your shadow. I was supposed to keep you uninformed for as long as it was possible ... You were supposed to act naturally like there was no danger, there was whole action prepared ... and I don't know, maybe we would succeed if it wasn't for Andromeda's death."

"I ..." Hermione mumbled.

"After Andromeda's death ... I was called and I knew that it was Bellatrix who killed Andromeda ... you didn't saw what she wrote on Andromeda's body ... Mudblood and Mongrel will be next ... I was afraid ... You and Teddy were in danger and I couldn't allow anything to happen to both of you ... I would not stand if something had happened to you two ... There it was, a perfect way to remove you and Teddy from Lestrange's sight ... and Polyjuice Potion is part of Auror equipment ..."

"You were impersonating me?" Hermione breathed out.

"I did, and it worked. Rodolphus and Rastaban fell for it ... but we couldn't find Bellatrix. She was nowhere to be found ... we had Aurors situated at your parents place ... Bellatrix had to kill them before she entered the house, I don't see any other explanation," Harry whispered.

"But how did you knew that I was at my parents place? That I left Grimmauld Place?" Hermione asked quietly.

"I didn't and if it wasn't for Teddy ... He woke me up in the middle of the night ... he was horrified ... and your room was on the opposite side of the corridor. I went into your room to check if he didn't woke you up ... but you weren't there and the only place I could think of, the place for you to go was your parents place ... I was horrified when I realised that your house was under Fidelius ... I never felt so helpless in my entire life," he whispered carefully.

She didn't said anything.

"I'm sorry Hermione ... I should have told you ..." Harry whispered.

She bowed her head before she whispered, "You were trying to protect me. It explains a lot of things now."

"Are you ... mad at me?" he asked quietly.

She looked up at him, "Mad? You ask me if I'm mad?" she whispered. "Of course that I'm mad at you for not telling me ... but if it wasn't for you I wouldn't be here. I'm mad at you and yet I can't think how grateful I feel for what you have done tonight and ... and I feel sorry."

"For what?" he asked.

She choked out something between small sob and laugh before she said, "For high heels. How long you were wearing my clothes?"

Harry smiled involuntarily before he said, "For far too long but really the most horrible thing was bras."

"At least there is one man who can feel woman's pain," Hermione muttered as she glanced down at still sleeping Teddy. "He woke up some time ago ... you weren't in your bedroom and I was scared ... Kreacher found you here ... you were sleeping so peacefully that I didn't had a heart to wake you up ... I didn't wanted to be alone," she mumbled.

"I understand Hermione," he touched her hand in a manner he hoped she took for comforting.

* * *

Kingsley's letter arrived right after breakfast and was similarly worded to the one from Harry's dream. Since he had time off work, Teddy and Hermione were upstairs playing in Teddy's room, Harry had no other excuses to not write a letter to Ginny.

_Dear Ginny_, he started and crossed it. Honey, would be more appropriate, my beloved or love could be even better.

_My dearest Ginny_, he started again and realised that he forgot what Ginny wrote to him in her last letter. He sighed heavily remembering that he left Ginny's letter in his bedroom. He got upstairs and turned the room upside down looking for it and by the time he found it he realised that he really didn't felt like writing so he left it on his desk to write letter and went to Teddy's bedroom to play with him and Hermione.

* * *

"Anna Maria Lynch," cheerful elderly witch introduced herself to Harry and Hermione when they entered Social Liaison Office in the Ministry of Magic.

"Harry Potter," Harry said as he hugged Teddy tighter to his left side and extended his right hand to greet Mrs Lynch.

"Hermione Granger," said Hermione quietly as she shook woman's hand.

The witch motioned at them to sit down in front of her desk. Harry sat down and hugged Teddy tighter to himself. He wanted to keep Teddy by his side and if Ministry of Magic decided to separate them ... they would have to better rethink it ... at least twice ... He was an Auror after all ... and he defeated Voldemort ... well after all Horcruxes were gone anything could kill Voldemort but he wasn't going to remind anyone about it now, for his and Teddy's sake.

"We are here to discuss law and social arrangements concerning one Teddy Remus Lupin, born at April the 24th 1998 to Nymhadora Andromeda and Remus John Lupin. The boy was born as Metamorphomagus and werewolf. Since death of his parents remained under the care of his grandmother Andromeda Cassiopeia Tonks who ten days ago had became a victim of a murder," said the witch as she sat down at her desk. Her voice made Harry think that she done it times and times before.

"Mrs Tonks and Teddy's parents expressed their wish that in case of their deaths the boy is supposed to be left under the care of his godfather and is not to be placed under the care to Narcissa Malfoy or anyone who isn't approved by Teddy's godfather, Mr Harry James Potter. Mr Potter do you accept the part of Andromeda Cassiopeia Tonks's will concerning one Teddy Remus Lupin?" she asked.

"I do," Harry said with a nod.

"You do realise that the boy is a werewolf?" the witch asked seriously.

"I do. I will take every precaution possible to ensure safety of any occupant of my house. Teddy will be transforming in secure area under the effect of Wolfsbane Potion Mrs Lynch," Harry said quickly.

"Very well," said the witch. "I'm glad that you took him. It would be quite problematic to find a good home for him Mr Potter. Now I had been left with instruction that upon reaching adulthood Teddy is going to receive full access to the gold in his grandparents vault as well as the cottage in Cornwall which belonged to Mr. Lupin, or according to Mr. Lupin's will, the area on which it was standing since it had been reduced to a pile of ashes during the war. Together with the copies of the wills are enclosed letters from Mrs and Mr Lupin to their son and you Mr Potter. Do you have any questions Mr Potter?"

Harry shook his head, he didn't had any.

"Then I have nothing to do other than congratulating you for becoming the guardian of Teddy Remus Lupin," said the witch. "I wish you good luck."

* * *

After coming back from Social Liaison Office Harry took Teddy to his bedroom where they spent around a hour at playing while Hermione was working on a report for the Ministry in the kitchen.

Teddy's hair during the time they spent together went through the wide plethora of colours. It seemed to Harry that Teddy's favourite hair were violet and jet-black. At some point of time Teddy managed to change his eyes from typical for him pink to green and he did it right in the moment when Hermione decided to join them.

She smiled down at both of them upon seeing Teddy's sincere smile and Harry's, faked annoyance at Teddy's choice.

"You better talk him out of using that look at least for next few days. You don't want to give Ginny a heart-attack, do you?" Hermione asked as she sat down next to him. "You told her about taking Teddy, didn't you?" Hermione's tone became more serious.

"I ..." Harry started and shrugged.

"Didn't," Hermione finished for him. "Harry," she sighed. "If you and Ginny want to really be together you have to make important decisions together."

"There was no other way Hermione," Harry said quietly as he ruffled Teddy's hair. "I'm Teddy's godfather and Teddy Lupin comes as a part of package called Harry Potter. If Ginny has problem with it then it's her problem because I'm not getting rid of Teddy."

"I know," Hermione said quietly.

"I know what means being unloved and unwanted," Harry whispered. "I know how it feels when you have no one to turn to ... I know Hermione ... and I want to spare Teddy that. I won't abandon him and if it will cost me loosing Ginny then ... fine. Building my personal happiness is worth less than building his," Harry said firmly and lowered his head blinking furiously while remembering all this years he spent in a cupboard under the stairs.

He wasn't looking at Hermione so he was surprised when he found himself in her tight hug.

"You have no idea how proud you make me," she whispered into his ear. "You are just nineteen and you are more responsible than men twice your age are. I wish that Ginny will remember about it tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Harry squeaked and he pulled away.

"She and Ron are coming here tomorrow, in the afternoon. Everybody at the Burrow are still sick so Ginny and Ron will stay with us until they parents will get better," Hermione said simply. "I thought that you knew ... I remembered telling you about it sometime last week plus it was your office which granted them what they are going through."

Knowing his luck she told him right in the same moment which he choose to tune her out just a bit. It wasn't that he minded Hermione's presence at Grimmauld, he was just tired and he zoned out for a moment, just not in the right time.

"Yeah you did, I remember" he agreed quickly. "Slipped from my mind."

He glanced at Teddy and was very surprised to see that while boy's hair still looked like his own hair Teddy's green eyes turned in brown, the same shade as Hermione's.

"I'm bringing up another Maruder," Harry sighed.

"Huh," Hermione mumbled and she turned around to face Teddy.

Teddy smiled at both of them sheepishly.

"Mischief Maker," Hermione sighed. "If you will do it tomorrow Teddy you are going to get yourself in a lot of trouble."

Teddy's smile just got wider at her comment.

* * *

"No!" green-haired Teddy whined agonizingly as Harry tried to feed with puree from green pea.

"Teddy will eat it because Teddy is good boy," Harry said patiently and he tried to bring the spoon with puree closer to Teddy's mouth.

"Blah!" Teddy muttered and turned his head away from the spoon.

"It tastes good," Harry tried again and in answer received offended look. "And it's healthy."

"You!" the child mumbled.

"Puppy can eat pistachio ice-cream," Kreacher cut in, he was polishing the silverware and watching Harry's attempts to feed Teddy for quite some time.

"Kreacher you are not helping me," Harry sighed and immediately added. "Teddy needs to eat his greens Kreacher."

"Pistachio ice-cream are green Master Harry," Kreacher said.

Harry sighed in defeat, having Teddy and Kreacher against himself he could as well admit it at loud, he was a lousy godfather. He was about to open his mouth and say it when he saw that Teddy turned his head back to him and that boy's mouth was open just wide enough to press the spoon with puree into boy's mouth.

He quickly shoved the spoon into Teddy's mouth, however he forgot that times when force-feeding Teddy was successful had passed some time ago and the kid knew very well how to spit out whatever had been put in his mouth so he was quite surprised when Teddy spit out the contest of his mouth at Harry.

He whipped greenish goo of puree and child's saliva from his face and glanced at Teddy. Teddy tried to look like picture of innocence and he would probably succeed if it wasn't for a trail of green goo on his chin.

"So you want to play dirty young man?" Harry said, trying to sound dangerously.

Teddy grinned at Harry.

"You want to disrespect what Kreacher prepared for you and my long hours of work which I spent in sweat and dirt thinking that my discomfort is trivial because my little Teddy is going to eat his greens and will grow into big boy and will make his godfather proud," Harry said in false hurt in his voice.

Teddy giggled happily.

"I feel so wounded," Harry sighed. "Unloved, uncared for ... My own godson is disrespecting me ..."

Teddy snickered.

"And now he is laughing," Harry whined falsely. "He is laughing like my feelings are not important. What an imp? And you know what we do with imps young man?" he bend in front of Teddy's chair.

Teddy shook his head.

"We teach imps lessons young man," said Harry seriously and he picked the bowl with puree. "A lessons that everyone's work should be respected my little imp," Harry smiled and turned the bowl with pure upside down above Teddy's head.

Since puree – like most of things, even in wizarding world was bound by gravity law – was upside down with no bowl to hold it the green mush ended on the top of Teddy's head. Teddy laughed in delight that he was dirty, Kreacher sighed heavily and Harry smiled because hearing Teddy's laugh made him happy. He picked the child up from his chair and started dancing around with laughing Teddy in his arms. Unfortunately or fortunately Hermione chose that moment to walk into the kitchen and saw Harry and Teddy covered in green pea puree.

"Merlin's pants!" she breathed out. "What you two have done when I was upstairs?"

"Teddy here didn't want to eat his greens," Harry said quickly and he grinned at her.

Hermione sighed heavily before she said, "Ron and Ginny will be coming shortly and you two just decided to bring even more green into the kitchen."

"We were trying," Harry mumbled. "They decided to not come by Hogwarts Express?"

"No, they are still coming by Hogwarts Express. Oh Kreacher could you please prepare tea and sandwiches for them while I will clean this mess our big boys had done," Hermione turned to Kreacher.

The elf nodded eagerly and immediately wandered in the direction of the pantry while Hermione scurigified Harry's and Teddy's clothes and every part of the kitchen dirty duo reached. She finished scurgifing Harry's chair when they heard front door opening and after a moment of rustling Ginny and Ron entered the kitchen.

Upon seeing Harry with Teddy in his arms and Hermione who looked almost like McGonnagall after finding a prankster and punishing said imp Ginny and Ron stood up in their tracks. Ginny appeared to be troubled and Ron looked at them curiously.

"Hungly," Teddy said suddenly. "Pulee Harry."

"Now?" Harry turned to face his godson.

Teddy nodded and smiled innocently.

"Harry love, what this child is doing here?" Ginny asked weakly.

"It's Teddy, Ginny. My godson," Harry explained.

"He grew up since I saw him for the last time," said Ron as he went to greet him before he quickly wandered to Hermione and kissed her quickly on the mouth.

"Harry, Ron and I are going out. You will have to give Teddy Wolfsbane before you put him to sleep," Hermione said after she greeted Ron.

"Wolfsbane?" Ginny asked weakly. "He is a werewolf, isn't he?"

"Yes Ginny, Teddy is a werewolf but he is taking Wolfsbane ..." Harry started only to be cut off by Teddy.

"Ble," Teddy mumbled.

"I know Teddy but it's safer for all of us," Harry said and hugged Teddy tighter.

"Where is Andromeda? Why Teddy isn't at home?" Ginny asked suddenly.

"Teddy is at home Ginny," Harry said simply. "He lives here."

"He should live with Andromeda Harry. She is his grandmother," Ginny said firmly.

"He could be living with his grandmother if it wasn't for the small fact which causes the problem ... Andromeda is dead, Ginny," Harry answered seriously.

"Dead?" Ginny gasped.

"Dead. More precisely murdered," Harry answered as he glared at Ginny.

"But you can't bring him up Harry ... you are too young ... you have whole life in front of you ... you can't destroy your plans by raising lycanthropic child ... I ... assumed ..." Ginny was muttering almost hysterically.

"You assumed what?" Harry asked coldly. Ginny's reaction was making him angry, she knew him and she dared to assume that he would abandon his godson like Teddy didn't mattered at all. He felt that Teddy gripped his arm tightly. "You assumed that I would abandon my godson."

"It spoils everything Harry!" Ginny yelled. "He spoils everything! He was supposed to live with Andromeda ... You were supposed to marry me and we ..."

He felt like something akin to a wave of warm air passed through him. He didn't knew what it was but it felt good. He thought that he heard two gasps and from a corner of his eye he saw that Hermione and Ron looked troubled.

"I'm not too young to bring Teddy up and I don't see him spoiling any of my plans, delaying them for some time, maybe, but definitely not spoiling. Teddy transforms under Wolfsbane Potion in specifically designed for it room and is completely harmless," Harry said firmly.

"You changed," Ginny huffed.

"I didn't, I'm still me," Harry said coldly. "However I have priorities and certain responsibilities and either you accept that Teddy Lupin is a part of package called Harry Potter or you can walk out of this room right now Ginny because... I. Won't. Abandon. My. Godson." he said, firmly accenting his point. "If you can't accept it then it is your problem because I'm not giving up Teddy."

"It wasn't supposed to be like this ..." Ginny whined.

"Life isn't about 'it was supposed to be like that' Ginny. Life is about taking it as it goes, accepting everything it throws at you and making the best of it. Now excuse me because I have to change Teddy's diaper before I'm going to put him to the bed for a nap," Harry said coldly and he walked swiftly past her, leaving stunned trio behind.

He quickly got upstairs and walked into the bathroom which was adjoined to Teddy's. Automatically he took off Teddy's dirty diaper and put him in the bathtub while fuming silently at Ginny's irresponsibility. Had he been less furious he would realise that something was amiss. After he gave Teddy quick shower he turned around to put clean diaper on Teddy.

"Harry," he heard Ron's tentative voice.

"What?" he hissed without turning in his direction.

"Downstairs we didn't knew how to tell you but ... did you looked into the mirror?" Ron asked.

"What you mean Ron?" Harry turned his head in Ron's direction.

"Only that you should look into the mirror and by the way ... While I'm not happy about what you just did to Ginny but I want you to know that I think that you are doing the right thing ... for right reason," Ron said. "See you downstairs after you cool off," he added and Harry heard him walking away.

He shook his head but nevertheless he raised his head to take a quick glance in the mirror above his head. He got the shock of his life when he saw his face in the mirror ... Actually it wasn't really his face...

* * *

**Awaiting criticism - like always. I'm replying as long as you leave me your email or you log in while reviewing. Bring my ego down ;)**


	3. Chapter 3: Sticks and Stones

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or anything what you can recognize from the books. I do however own the plot of this story but I don't have profits because of it unless you count improving my English as a profit.

**Preview:** New developement makes Harry change the great masterplan. But something doesn't go according to the plan and innocent people get hurt. Faced with knowledge that he comitted a murder Harry reaches out to only one person who can understand him. Later Harry is forced to make a choice between what is right and what is easy...

* * *

**Chapter three: Sticks and Stones.**

His hair were longer, still jet-black, but longer. His cheekbones were higher than before. He still had his own stubble thought it was longer than usual. But nothing changed more than his eyes. Instead of green they were grey ...

The face in the mirror didn't seem to belong to him anymore but to ... Sirius. He brought his hand to touch his face. The skin under the fingertips was warm, the stubble sharp. He could see the move of his own hand in the mirror. It might have looked like Sirius's but it was still his own face. He was Sirius, or Sirius was him or ...

Teddy's sneeze snapped him out of his shock and he quickly finished dressing up the boy.

"Sorry," he mumbled sheepishly to his godson as he hugged him.

He put Teddy in his crib and smiled at the child. Teddy smiled at him back and closed his eyes. Five minutes later evened breath told Harry that Teddy was sleeping.

He thought about getting down to the kitchen but he really didn't felt like he cooled off. He felt tired, older than his own – nearly – nineteen years. He ran a hand through his hair, somehow it came back to his own length sometime during leaving the bathroom and putting Teddy in his crib.

He was Sirius or Sirius was him. For a short moment he wasn't himself because ... because ... he got mad at Ginny for what she had said. But he got mad at a lot of people in the past and not even once he changed his appearance. He wasn't Metamorphomagus, but he changed his appearance without wand.

He lied back on his side and watched sleeping Teddy. After two minutes of watching Teddy he fell asleep without realising it.

* * *

He was woken up by childish crackling laughs and opened one eye to see if it was Teddy who should be sleeping nearby. Teddy was sleeping soundly in his crib and Harry decided to not waste precious time and came back to sleep.

When he woke up again he realised that someone was watching him, intently. He could practically feel someone's eyes boring into the back of his head. It could be Ginny so Harry didn't moved, he wasn't going to give her that satisfaction.

"You would feel better if you fell asleep on the pillow Harry," said the voice he heard before. The voice which triggered something in his heart and he turned around immediately.

"You've been so brave," said his mother. She was sitting cross-legged next to him on the floor and smiling widely at him.

"Mum ... I thought that Sirius ..." Harry breathed out.

"Sleeps," his mother said quietly and she waved her hand in the direction of something behind Harry's head. "He isn't the only one to whom you reach in your dreams," she added when he craned his neck to check what she had in mind.

Sirius was lying asleep on the couch nearby. In his arms was a bundle with jet-black hair which looked like bird's nest.

"Overworked?" Harry mumbled.

"Very. Spent three hours at baby-sitting, that's how we found him," said Lily.

"Why you still let them ... us sleep?" Harry asked curiously.

"Lesson number one: let the sleeping dogs lie. Very important lesson not only when it comes to the dogs," Lily answered. "Do you want tea? I've got some."

Harry accepted steaming mug which suddenly appeared nearby.

"She isn't the only mermaid in the sea Harry," she said suddenly.

"I know," he sighed. "She said that I'm too young though."

"You will be turning nineteen in a matter of few weeks Harry. If someone is too young then it's her not you. I hate to say it but someone has to say it ... It's better this way, for now. She is young and knows nothing about life," Lily's voice was calm but fierce.

"Neither do I," Harry whispered.

"You know more than anyone at your age should," she said thoughtfully and she added. "I can't say that I'm not happy about this argument you had with her."

Harry stared at her quizzically not really knowing what to say.

"She is too childish, for now at least. She knows no responsibilities and her love ... or what she thinks is love is still at hero-worshipping point. She still sees Harry Potter, she doesn't see Harry," Lily said quietly. "Maybe in few years she will change but for now ... I ... and Sirius are thinking that the best thing for you would be if you learned to be on your own ... with Teddy. Ginny isn't ready for responsibilities yet."

"Why Sirius and you?" Harry asked. "Why not you and dad? I mean he probably has his thoughts about it, doesn't he."

"James is biased when it comes to the red heads. He married one," Lily gave him small smile. "I'm more perceptive ... so is Sirius ... We really want the best for you and we think that you depend too much on the Weasleys ... We wish you the best, we really do Harry but think that maybe someday something between you and Ginny can go wrong and you may find yourself in awful predicament ..."

"What you mean?" Harry asked bluntly.

"You know that I wish you the best but ... Imagine that someday you and Ginny may fall apart ... You depend too much on the Weasleys and if ... if the worst come to worst ... You have no one to turn too. You have no other friends beside the Weasleys," Lily's voice was concerned.

"I have Hermione," Harry said quickly.

"You have Hermione," said the voice from behind his back. "And Neville and Luna and few others who are not friends but colleagues."

"I thought that you were supposed to sleep Paddy," said Lily disapprovingly as Harry turned the way so he could see both of them.

"I slept," Sirius said simply, he was still lying on the couch with little Harry on his stomach.

"Half of hour," she muttered.

"Still," Sirius muttered.

"No wonder that you always look like death warmed up," she sighed.

"Very funny," Sirius snorted. "So how was your day Mr Godfather?"

"Tiring as hell," Harry admitted. "Teddy is very active toddler, Sirius."

Sirius snickered, "You just didn't meet active toddler Harry if you are claiming that Teddy is active toddler."

"I had a row with Ginny," Harry sighed. "Over Teddy. She isn't happy about Teddy living with me. Says that I'm too young and ..."

"How old are you Harry?" Sirius asked briskly.

"I will be turning nineteen at the end of July, from all people in the world I think that you should know it," Harry sighed heavily.

"You are turning nineteen in a while. Your parents had you when they were twenty. For the record my grandfather from my beloved mum's side had thirteen years when she was born, so did his youngest son when Bellatrix was born. Therefore you aren't too young to father a kid," Sirius said simply.

"Were you?" Harry asked curiously.

"Huh?" Sirius mumbled as his hand smoothened the hair of little Harry in his lap.

"Too young," Harry finished. "To bring me up I mean? Did you ever thought how our lives would look like if Hagrid handed me to you?" he needed to know it, one of the questions he never had answer for.

Sirius stayed silent for a moment before he said slowly, "I really don't know. To tell you the truth I never thought about it ... I was ... unprepared for raising you in the moment of James's and Lily's deaths ... Yeah I was unprepared ... It was surreal thought ... at least then ... when you were so small ... If the thought about your parents death occurred me my mind always supplied images from more distant future ... But I know one thing Harry," their eyes meet above little Harry's head. "Once I gained custody of you I would never abandon you Harry ... I would never throw you away ..."

"Because of my parents?" Harry asked suddenly.

"Not because Lily and James asked me to do so. But because I knew that I would never forgive myself for letting you go, not after I got you ... I know for sure that if I had a chance to take you with me, to bring you up I would never go after Peter, not personally, but as an Auror ... if ever," Sirius said quietly. "Having a child is huge responsibility – your life isn't about you anymore but about this little vulnerable being which solely depends on you and your actions. The child needs to come first, that's what responsible people do ... that's what I would do if I had a chance to take you."

Harry quirked one eyebrow at that and in response got a glare worth Snape.

"Molly Weasley isn't an oracle Harry. Nor she is a saint. To tell you the truth if they managed to get past pure-blood bigotry Molly and my mother would make very good friends," Harry snorted upon hearing that "Don't laugh at me young man, I meant it," Sirius huffed.

"Sorry couldn't resist," Harry snickered. "But coming back to what you said before ... What can I do about Ginny?" he asked quietly.

"The only thing you can do with her now is waiting ... just don't spend the rest of your life at it, there are plenty mermaids in the lake, she isn't the only one," Sirius sighed.

"What if she comes around?" Harry asked.

"Remember that Teddy should come first. That's all I have to tell you Harry, for now at least. Let's play chess you are supposed to sleep therefore relax and worrying isn't making you rested," Sirius said quickly.

"I'm with him on this one. Start playing and I will bring you Firewhiskey," Lily said and she got up.

* * *

He was woken up by someone who was shaking his shoulder slightly.

"Wake up Harry, I need you here," he heard Ron's voice above his head.

"W'has up On?" Harry mumbled.

"Hermione," Ron breathed out. "I don't know what's going on. She keeps calling your name, crying and shaking, even screaming ... And I can't wake her up ... it's impossible ..."

Harry glanced at Ron, he was positively terrified about Hermione. Harry quickly sat up on the bed and left the room with Ron tagging behind.

"What exactly she calls Ron?" Harry asked in full Auror mood by the time they reached the landing.

"Mostly 'no!', 'not them', 'take me instead'. I don't know what had happened Harry, I don't know what to do..." Ron sounded lost.

"Did she told you what had happened?" he asked.

"What had happened? I only know about Andromeda," said Ron quickly.

"So she didn't told you yet," Harry whispered as he reached Hermione's door.

"About what?" Ron asked horrified.

"Her parents had been killed on Monday night, last week. More precisely murdered, by Bellatrix. She was at their place..." Harry answered as he reached for the handle and hesitated. "I... I killed her Ron. I had been the one supposed to protect her..." his voice wavered. "I ... I was supposed to protect her and I failed... if it wasn't for Teddy... if he didn't woke up... I would never made to her parents place, there will be no one to save her and... and Bellatrix would kill her. I killed her ... my Killing Curse collided with the one meant for us."

"I..." Ron started but he sounded as lost as he looked. "You... killed Bellatrix?"

"In self-defence," Harry said quickly and suddenly found in himself the strength to turn the handle and open the door.

"You said that you were the one to protect her," Ron said quietly. "And you lost her."

"I'm a human Ron. I have to sleep at some point. Night was invented so people could sleep. It never occurred me that she will leave the house when I was asleep... it should have but it didn't and... and in the process innocent people died," Harry said without looking at Ron.

He didn't felt like explaining anything more to Ron right now so he entered Hermione's room and took few steps to reach her bed. She was trashing and turning, muttering under her breath and crying but not really waking up. He sat down and touched her shoulder gently.

"Hermione!" his voice was calm but demanding and when he got no reaction he squeezed her shoulder and repeated, "Hermione, I need you to wake up. You are having a nightmare."

She extracted from herself something which sounded like a half-sob and half-scream and throw herself in his arms, shaking from fear and sobbing maniacally.

"It's all right Hermione," he said and he felt that he never told bigger lie, she wasn't all right and even a dumb man could see it. "You are at Grimmauld Place Hermione, no one is going to harm you here and if they try they have me and Ron to get through first."

She clung to him, like he was the only thing solid in this world. She was still shaking but her sobs subsided.

"I dreamt about that night," she whispered, her voice was barely audible even to him. "I dreamt that you never came, that she killed them, killed them all. I've screamed for help, but it didn't came. I was alone and she was going to kill me."

"She won't harm you anymore, Hermione. I killed her and she isn't coming back, not this time around," he reassured her and hugged her tightly.

"You did so much already," she whispered.

"Everyone in my place would do it Hermione," he replied.

"You endangered yourself for me," she said, a bit louder than before. "She could have killed you if she found you at any other time."

"She didn't," he said quietly. "She could, but she didn't. She should but she didn't. It should have been me."

"Why it should have been you?" he was sure that he heard Ginny's voice from behind. 'So she didn't left Grimmauld Place,' he thought.

"Because I've been walking Polyjuiced into Hermione for a week. Bellatrix was supposed to came after me not Hermione," he answered angrily.

"You have been Polyjuiced into Hermione for a week?" Ron asked, his voice about octave higher than usual.

Suddenly, he felt angry. Some part of him told him something drastic was about to happen and it pissed him off.

"Is there an echo in this room or my sleep-deprived mind supplies it?" he asked angrily. "Yes I did. I did it to protect her, because it was my job," he let Hermione to pull back a little and glanced at her.

She looked like mess, eyes red, puffy and still tear-filled. Hair messy, face pale.

"You were looking at her bits?" Ron asked suddenly.

That took him by surprise. That took him by surprise and made him more angry than before. Furious in fact. Hermione had been hurt, nearly killed and her boyfriend is having a problem with him about Polyjuicing into Hermione and looking at her bits – which he in fact never did with transforming in Hermione's clothes on already.

"Excuse me, can you repeat what you just said because I think that I heard you wrong Ron," he said through gritted teeth while standing up from Hermione's bed and drafting himself to his full high. "Your girlfriend is a nervous wreck, recently lost her parents, was tortured and almost died and all you care about is me seeing her bits?!"

Ron said nothing, just stared at Harry.

"How shallow you can be?" Harry asked angrily, feeling the fury cursing through his veins. He wanted to hurt Ron, to beat him into bloody pulp until he saw the sense but something stopped him.

"You saw," said Ron as simply as one could mention something completely normal in every day conversation.

"I did not!" Harry yelled.

"And now you are trying to deny it," Ron's voice was small. "You always had everything and now you are stealing the only thing which really mattered to me..." his voice suddenly sounded angry.

"I should have knew," said Ginny suddenly, she sounded as angry as Ron. "You," she yelled at Hermione. "You planned it from the very beginning Scarlett Woman! You played a friend because you knew that he would never love you and you went behind my back..."

SLAP. The fury which was cursing through his veins already enveloped him completely and he felt how it spread through the rest of his body, the warmth of it making his fingertips tingling slightly. He stood docile listening to Ginny's shouts and suddenly he snapped. Till then he had full control over his body and suddenly it vanished, he felt his arm raising, not really controlling it and next thing he knew Ginny was sitting on the floor. She looked shell-shocked, a red imprint of his right hand was etched on her face. Ron who was standing behind her looked just as shocked as she was.

"Get the fuck out of my fathers' house," Harry growled. "I give you fifteen minutes to leave and if you don't pray for a miracle."

They did nothing. For a moment they stood, and sat, docile in their places, all of them silent.

"We don't have a place to go," Ginny's voice was all but a whisper.

"I don't give a damn. Should have thought first before you opened your mouth," Harry snarled angrily. "You have fourteen minutes now."

"We can stay at Leaky Cauldron till the rest will get better," said Ron suddenly. "Come Ginny. We are not wanted here anymore," he turned around and was about to walk out of the room when he suddenly stopped and without turning around said, "You two are not welcome at the Burrow anymore," and he left.

Ginny hurried behind him, too afraid to stay in the room anymore.

He stood there, in the middle of Hermione's bedroom, staring at the door, Hermione behind his back when the gravity of what he just done hit him, hard. He kicked them out. He kicked out his best friend of seven years and the girl he loved. He felt old, he felt tired, he felt mad... at himself, at them, at the whole god-damned world.

"I'm going to sleep," he told Hermione without turning around to face her and he left the room.

He didn't came back to Teddy's room, or even his own bedroom for the matter. He made his way to Sirius room and sat down on the bed. He really had done it this time. He fucked up everything, his life, Hermione's life ... he wouldn't be surprised if she went after him and slapped him across the face and tell him that she was leaving too.

He propped himself on the pillows and waited. Waited for Hermione to come and tell him that he really did it this time and that she doesn't want to see him ever again. He also waited for the sleep to come.

But neither did.

* * *

The night had passed and the dawn had come and went too. The sun was quite high on the sky before the door to Sirius's bedroom opened and revealed worried Kreacher.

"Miss asked Kreacher to wake Master up," said Kreacher.

"What time is it?" asked Harry quietly.

"Fifteen minutes past eight o'clock, Master," Kreacher answered. "What Master wants to have for breakfast?"

"Just coffee and a toast Kreacher. Did she packed her things?" he asked worriedly.

"Nothing indicates that Miss packed," Kreacher answered. "Should she pack Master Harry?"

"I don't think she should ... unless she wants to pack," Harry whispered. "I'll be down in a moment."

* * *

The kitchen looked normal with its olive green walls and white furniture. Kreacher was making toasts and two steaming coffee cups were standing on the table which was set for three. He sat down at the table and stared at the wall in front of him.

He didn't knew what he should told her when she got down. Should he apologize? Should he don't mention anything at all?

He nearly jumped out of his seat when he felt warm hand on his right shoulder, he turned his head just a bit and saw Hermione with Teddy on hers right hip. She looked like she didn't slept all night, under her eyes were dark circles, her hair were more messy than usual. He felt bad for her.

"You did what you thought was right," she said weakly. "I should have seen it coming. I don't blame you. Not really."

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his left hand unconsciously reaching hers and squeezing it lightly.

"You don't have to," she whispered as she sat down next to him. "I should saw it coming ... after yesterday ..." she said quietly as she put Teddy in the chair on her right.

"Did something else happened yesterday?" he asked alarmed.

She said nothing for a longer moment until Kreacher put the plate full of toasts in front of them and vanished from sight.

"When you left kitchen yesterday and Ginny ... went to sulk somewhere ... Ron ... asked me ... he proposed ... and ... I told him no," she whispered finally.

"You told him no?" he asked surprised.

"Anyone would told no!" she burst suddenly. "You should have heard the way he said it and ... know what he did ..." she burst in tears.

"What he had done?" he asked.

"He wrote to my boss, from Hogwarts Express, that I'm leaving the job because I'm getting married and my husband-to-be doesn't want me to work. And later in the kitchen he told me the same. That his wife won't work, it would a complete shame, that I'll be staying at home and taking care of the kids!" she screamed, her scream startling Teddy.

"He didn't," Harry whispered, taken aback by what he heard, Ron he knew wouldn't do that to Hermione.

"He did!" she sobbed. "And this morning I received the answer. They send back my files, they kicked me out for good," she hid her face in her hands sobbing quietly. "My parents are dead, my boyfriend is a chauvinistic ass and on the top of that I got fired from the job I loved!" she bellowed and this time she really scared Teddy.

Harry quickly stood up and picked Teddy up from his chair and sat in it, pulling Hermione in a loose hug, with Teddy in his arms he couldn't give her tighter one.

"I'll help you clear this mess Hermione," he whispered reassuringly. "And you know that you can stay here for as long as you need, as long as you are comfortable here."

She lowered her hands and looked at him with her tear-filled eyes.

"Thank you Harry," she whispered and she clung to him tighter.

"I can even go today to your boss, as long as you will eat breakfast, drink coffee and take a nap after it. You look like you didn't slept last night," he said.

"Nightmares," she mumbled into his shoulder.

"Then take Dreamless-Sleep Potion after breakfast," he said. "I will ask Kreacher to keep an eye on Teddy until I come back, okay?" he asked and felt her nod.

* * *

It was nine o'clock when he finally made the Ministry of Magic and immediately headed to the Magical Office of Law in Department of International Magical Cooperation.

"Auror Potter to see Mr. Houseboard," he said to the secretary in his full Auror-barking mode.

"He is showing around the new Head of Office of International Beast Regulation," she answered. "If you wait a moment I'll fetch him for you."

"So he already replaced Ms Granger?" Harry asked angrily.

"Just this morning. She is getting married and asked to quit last afternoon," she replied.

"Last time I checked, and I checked this morning I should add, she did not quit nor she was engaged. She, however was sacked from her job because someone forged the letter of resignation and sent it to Houseboard!" he snarled. "I'm here to clear that because right now she is a sobbing mess. Why any of you didn't checked if the letter was fake?!"

"Mr Houseboard!" she yelled. "Auror Potter to see you, now!"

Houseboard was a man in late forties, made Head of the Office straight after the war which he spent at ducking from old Ministry and Death Eater. Harry had meet and genuinely took a liking to the man but right now he was furious with him on Hermione's behalf.

"Your office Mr Houseboard," Harry said angrily and waved at the door on his right when he saw the man approaching them.

When the door to Houseboard's office had closed behind them, and older man sat himself at his chair while motioning for Harry to do the same, Harry said straightforwardly, "Already replacing Ms Granger?"

"She resigned yesterday," said Houseboard simply.

"She did not," Harry said through gritted teeth. "The letter you got is fake. Forged by an ass who took upon himself to fuck up with the job she loved. She just lost her parents and you fired her because you didn't check the letter properly!" he snarled.

"You are here …" Houseboard started but Harry didn't let him finish.

"To make sure that tomorrow morning she is coming to work."

"She can't, Potter. Fake or not, she resigned and we replaced her. As much as it hurts me to lose so competent employee there is nothing I can do for her right now," Houseboard sounded tired.

"How about setting an investigation?" Harry asked angrily. "Someone had forged a letter of resignation, innocent person got kicked out from the job and she can't come back because in the meantime someone else got the job? Oh, Houseboard, you know perfectly well that she is the most competent for this job," he huffed.

"I know Potter but there is nothing, absolutely nothing I can do right now. Shut up and let me finish," he said quickly when he saw that Harry was about to interrupt him once again. "You can blackmail me with setting an investigation but in the same moment you will open it, DMLE will close it. The law is the law. She resigned someone else got her job and there is nothing at this moment I can do for her. The only thing I can promise you and her is that next year in April the Head of International Aurors Cooperation is resigning and if she applies she will be the first person on my mind to take this job. That's the only thing I can promise Potter."

"You are telling me that the only thing she can get is a promise that in ten months you will kindly check if she fits for the job?" Harry growled. "She just lost her parents, the man she loved turned out to be a chauvinistic asshole who destroyed her life and the only thing she gets is a promise!"

Houseboard sighed heavily, "You said it yourself, she just lost her parents. She is grieving, she was on vacation because…"

"Because three fruitcakes were after her!"

"She is grieving, she needs time to heal."

"Right, and keeping her unemployed with help her greatly in dealing with the loose of her parents!"

"I… I will promise you that she will get the Head of International Aurors Cooperation in April without a blink but not without few very important things," said Houseboard pensively.

"A bit better now," Harry muttered. "What are these things?"

"In September she will enter the Auror training, I will arrange the details with Shackelbolt. Before Christmas she will pass three exams considering "International Regulations of Beasts", "Regulations of International Investigations" and "Basic Healing". There will be more exams to come but if she passes them all and you and I know that she will at April the 3rd I'm accepting her as Head of International Aurors Cooperation."

"I don't know if it's what she wants Houseboard. She applied for Beasts. She worked there and I'm sure that she would want it first. Why you can't make her replacement take IAC?" Harry asked.

"Won't be interested in it."

"And if the replacement resigns?" Harry asked.

"Won't resign, that one I can assure you Potter," Houseboard said quickly. "I liked her Potter and it pained me to see her resignation because she could go very far. IAC is the only one thing I can promise if she decides to take it. I'm sorry," he sounded genuinely sorry.

Harry sighed heavily, "Next Monday I'm coming back to work. I'll give you her answer concerning IAC by then."

He stood up, approached the door and was about to leave when he heard Houseboard, "You are great friend Potter, you should know it."

"Thanks," Harry said with a small nod and opened the door. "Good day to you."

He left Houseboard's office and turned in the direction of the lifts when a thought hit him. Sure Houseboard told him that Hermione's replacement won't resign but he could at least try.

He went to the secretary and asked, "Is Head of the Office of International Beast Regulation at his office?"

The secretary nodded slowly.

He knew the direction to the office because he visited Hermione there more than once and he quickly found himself at the office door and invited himself inside without knocking. He was shocked to see Luna Lovegood at the desk.

"You are the Head of OIBR?" he asked surprised.

"I got accepted this morning," Luna answered, she sounded equally shocked. "After Hermione resigned…"

"She didn't resigned Luna," Harry cut her off quickly.

"She didn't?" Luna was even more shocked. "But how? Why? What had happened?"

"Someone had forged her letter of resignation and sent to Houseboard," Harry said grimly.

"But why?" Luna asked.

"From what I heard her husband-to-not-be, since she told him to go to hell, in more pleasant way of course, wanted her to stay at home at take care of eventual kids and told her that it would be a shame if his wife had to work. The asshole forged her letter of resignation and here we are," Harry explained and sat himself on the other chair.

"I'm so sorry Harry," Luna said sincerely. "I wouldn't take this position if I knew. How she took it?"

"Considering that not long ago she just lost her parents pretty well … she is a nervous wreck," Harry sighed.

"I'm sorry," Luna said sadly. "I… I promise you that as soon as I can I will resign Harry. I wanted to take job here but not like that. I wish I could but I simply can't drop it now. Dad got very sick and on the top of that he just lost the Quibler and we are pretty broken up. I promise that as soon as he gets better I will find another job so Hermione can come back."

He felt bad, he came here wanting to make Hermione's replacement resigning but now he felt like total shit.

"You don't have to Luna. You have to think about your father and yourself now. I won't allow you to do that. I'm sure that Hermione will understand," he said quickly.

"How is she, Harry, in overall?" she asked quietly.

"Pissed at Ron, grieving for her parents, having nightmares concerning their death. She has Teddy around though and I think that it keeps her from falling apart," he answered genuinely.

"She is staying with you, isn't she?"

"12 Grimmauld Place, London. If you want to visit her. I think she will be happy to see a familiar face, especially after I kicked Ron and Ginny out yesterday," Harry answered.

"You kicked them out?" Luna asked surprised. "I thought that you and Ginny…"

"She made her decision, I made mine and they are exact opposite. She doesn't wants Teddy and I have more important things on my mind than worrying about her growing up. Speaking about, I have a matter which needs to be taken of now but you are more than welcome to drop by when you have time," he said with a heavy sigh and got up.

"Sure I will Harry," she said. "Good day. It was nice seeing you around."

"Same to you Luna. See you around," he said with a small smile and left.

* * *

Diagon Ally was crowded as usually at this time of the day but somehow Harry made his way to the Gringotts unscratched and not bothered by anyone. He entered the building and located what he was looking for.

**Vault****s Access Authorisation**

He made his way to the counter and patiently waited when a witch and two wizards before him were attended. He was about to be served when he heard someone calling him from behind.

"Harry dear, you look terrible," he heard Mrs Weasley's voice from behind and he cringed, he didn't wanted to talk to her today at all.

"Good day to you too Mrs Weasley," he said, trying his best to not grimace.

"You look like something which Kneazel dragged in. Who had been feeding you? Were you sleeping lately at all?" she asked as she managed to ruffle his hair and whip imaginary dust from his cloak.

"I have been eating Mrs Weasley. I had a hard night but I'm going to sleep after I come back home. How are you? Dragon Pox gone?" he tried his best to sound nice.

"Terrible thing," she said. "But now it's gone and we are feel well. What you are doing here?"

Harry pointed at the sign.

"Oh, already settling authorization for Ginny I see, and you aren't even engaged yet," she said cheerfully.

"Name please," Harry heard the goblin.

"Harry James Potter, born at 31st July 1980," he said quickly, happy that for a moment he didn't had to answer Mrs Weasley's question.

"Vaults belonging to the Potter and Black families, or only one of them?" goblin asked.

"Both," Harry answered quickly.

"Whom do you like to authorize to have access to them?" asked goblin.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley my dear," said Mrs Weasley quickly.

"Hermione Jean Granger, born 19th September 1979," Harry answered equally quickly.

"Both?" goblin asked surprised.

"Just Hermione Granger," Harry answered quickly before Mrs Weasley had a chance to cut in.

"Full access?" asked the goblin.

"Full access. What's mine is hers. No authorization every time she goes there. If she has the key she can go," Harry said.

Goblin scribbled something on the parchment in front of him before he said, "Sign here please," and pointed his finger at the place which Harry was supposed to sign.

Harry signed it quickly and waited for goblin's nod.

"That would be all. Good day to you sir," he said.

"Thank you," Harry said and left the bank without turning around.

Mrs Weasley caught with him when he was halfway through the Diagon Alley.

"Harry dear, why you authorized Hermione's access to you vault and not Ginny's?" she asked, she sounded like she was worried and Harry thought that she should be worried.

"Because Hermione will be needing money in the nearest future since she was kicked out from her job," Harry answered simply and truthfully.

"Why she should need money? Ron and her are supposed to get married in September. He told me that he will be proposing as soon as he leaves Hogwarts. She doesn't needs to work, Ron will be taking care of her," she said it in the way like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Then you are having a bit outdated news Mrs Weasley. There will be no wedding in September because bride-to-be told groom-to-be that he can go to hell for all she cares," he knew that it sounded a bit harsh but he had other things on his head than Mrs Weasley. "For the record I don't plan to ever authorize Ginny to have an access to my vaults since I will sooner find a way to resurrect Voldemort than ask her to marry me. Good day to you, I have some matters which need to be taken care of," he said quickly and turned around.

He heard her calling after him but he didn't cared. With a swish of his wand he changed his cloak into leather jacket and apparated out of Diagon Alley.

He apparated into small back alley in the area where he, Andromeda, and sometimes Hermione were doing the shopping. After visiting grocery shop, butcher and shop with accessories for the babies he made his way home, not really wanting to apparate home.

When he entered the kitchen he saw remains of tea and biscuits on the table with Kreacher who looked like he was about to clean them. There were to plates and two tea cups so that meant that Hermione had a visitor when he was out.

"Miss is upstairs Master Harry. She is changing puppy's diaper," Kreacher answered his unspoken question.

"Thank you Kreacher," Harry said with a small nod. "I did some shopping on my way home. We had essentials for next few days."

"Master didn't had too," Kreacher said sadly. "That's Kreacher's job to do the shopping."

"I wanted though. I needed to occupy my mind for a while. Not being able to do anything makes me feel that I'm getting mad. Besides who better than you Kreacher makes Shepard's Pie," he said quickly, knowing very well what could brighten up Kreacher's mood.

"Kreacher can make Shepard's Pie for dinner. For lunch we have baked ham, Miss specifically asked Kreacher to do it," Kreacher said as he started checking the bags Harry brought in.

Harry knew better than come between Kreacher and his beloved job so he made a quick escape but not before he managed to get his hand at a Firewhiskey. He knew that it was too early to drink, but man, he needed some now.

He hid in his favourite place, Sirius's father study which served the same purpose since Harry decided to live at Grimmauld. It was one of the rooms which got through the havoc called renovation relatively unscratched. It was painted dark-green, the same colour it had been painted before. The bookshelves and desk remained the same and the only new thing which got there was an armchair on which Harry was currently sitting and sipping his Firewhiskey.

He was absentmindedly flipping through the novel he happened to read before this whole mess had started. In a matter an hour he managed to refill his glass twice and was about to refill it for the third time when he heard Hermione's voice from the doorway.

"Planning on becoming an alcoholic?" she asked.

He glanced from the book at her.

"I just need a drink," he answered tiredly.

Actually he planned to knock himself out with the little help from the bottle but Hermione didn't need to know this one.

"Luna came around when you were away," Hermione said as she made her way to him and sat down on the couch opposite to him.

"I saw two cups," he nodded.

"You talked with her."

"And Houseboard."

"I know that she can't leave and frankly I don't want her too. I will find something else. I know that she won't spoil what I managed to get done when I was there," she said quickly.

"I got a job-offer from Houseboard. Not available till April next year but I told him that I will talk to you about it and give him your answer when I'm back at work," he said.

"So what it is?" she asked curiously.

"Head of International Aurors Cooperation," he said.

Hermione's eyes widened to the size of saucers, "McNally is getting on retirement?"

"In April. Houseboard thinks that you can take the job if you really want. Of course there are some strings attached, for which I need to bother Kingsley about but we both know that if you want to take it you will kick competitors asses without as much as a blink," he said and set the glass aside.

"He really thinks that I can do it?" Hermione asked, she sounded shocked.

"Yeah," Harry nodded. "Actually he was quite unhappy to let you go. I don't really blame him."

"Give him some time and he will be happy with Luna too," Hermione said with a small smile. "We talked and I know that she will continue what I started. I feel bad for her, on the top of her father's sate of health she has to deal with his debts. He had to sell the Quibler to have money for treatment but it didn't worked," she added with a heavy sigh.

"Did she told you how bad it is?" he asked.

"He is staying at St. Mungo's. Permanently, until they find what's wrong with him," Hermione answered.

For a moment they were sitting in silence before Harry finally said, "I run into Mrs Weasley when I was at Gringotts this morning."

"Oh," Hermione sighed. "Was she mad?"

"No, she wasn't ... then. I think that right now she is pretty pissed off because I informed her, not very kindly that she can laid off any plans concerning future grandchildren," he said grimly.

"She didn't took it well I presume," she said blankly.

"No idea, didn't stuck around to hear her opinion," he answered.

"What you were doing at Gringotts?" she asked curiously. "I mean you took out the money after we came back from the Ministry last time and there are still plenty of them, you didn't had to go to the bank at least for another week," she added after a second.

"I didn't took the money out Hermione. I went to Gringotts to authorise your access to my vaults. Here," he pulled out his Gringott's key from his pocket and extended the hand in her direction, "I want you to have it."

"Harry I can't," she exhaled.

"You can," he told her. "Take it. For as long as you are here I want you to have it so I don't have to worry that you ran out of money while you were shopping," he extended his hand farther waiting for her to take it.

She did it albeit slowly, like she didn't really wanted to take it.

"I will try to not take too much," she said quietly.

He sighed heavily, it was more difficult than he thought it would be.

"Take as much as you want Hermione. If you will need money for something, anything, go ahead and take it. It's not like I'm going to use everything which happens to be there for the rest of my life," he said simply.

"What about your future kids?" she asked curiously. "You aren't planning to leave them empty handed, are you?"

He snorted silently before he answered, "I don't think that I'm going to have kids anytime soon. Last time I checked male pregnancy was impossible even in wizarding world."

"You don't believe that someday you are going to meet someone who will accept you as just you and Teddy as a part of package, do you? Or that Ginny will come around," she asked.

He shrugged before he said, "Not now. Right now Teddy is the most important Hermione. As for Ginny ... something is telling me that she is not going to come around anytime soon and ... I'm not sure that say in five years I'm going to care if she does. What about you?" he asked as he scooted a bit to the left to make a room and patted the free space with his right hand before he put it on the back of the armchair.

She walked to him and sat down next to him on the armchair with a heavy sigh.

"Ron made his point known yesterday," she said blankly. "I can't be with someone who doesn't accepts my decisions and tries to defy my choices. It's not that I don't want to have a family, husband and kids ... I want it," she leaned against the back of the armchair and let his right arm fell on her shoulders. "But we are young and ... if nothing happens we have ... a shitload of years ahead of us. Plenty of time for marrying, bringing up kids and maybe grandkids."

"How many kids you want to have?" he asked curiously because they never talked about their future when they were at Hogwarts nor when they were chasing after Horcruxes.

"I was an only child," she said as she lied her head on his shoulder. "So two kids are a must. Boy and girl preferably. I wouldn't mind having a third and maybe fourth sometime later. What about you?"

"Same here," he admitted. "I don't really care about their sex though I would want to have a little daughter to spoil her rotten and chase away boys. But for now Teddy would do."

"Consider his presence as a pre-parenting course," she snickered.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Speaking about devil how is he?"

"Taking a nap upstairs. Turned his hair lime green after you left and refused to change it into something less colourful," she sighed. "He such wonderful kid Harry."

They sat in silence for a while and Harry didn't realised when Hermione's breath evened and she fell asleep. He started feeling a bit sleepy too considering that he didn't get much of a sleep last night. He was about to fell asleep when he suddenly remembered something.

"Kreacher!" he called.

The old house-elf appeared immediately.

"Master called Kreacher," said the elf.

"Kreacher can you make sure that nobody enters the house without my knowledge and can you keep an eye on Teddy if he wakes up?" he asked.

"Pup is already awake," said Kreacher. "Kracher thinks that puppy is feeling lonely. Does Master wants Kreacher to bring the puppy downstairs?"

Harry considered it for a moment. On the long run it could be better for Teddy is someone stayed with him and maybe the kid could catch some more sleep if he was with them. He gave Kreacher small nod and watched elf's disappearance.

Kreacher appeared a moment later carrying Teddy securely in his one arm, in the other he had a blanket. He handled Teddy to Harry and the kid quickly nestled himself on Harry's knees and quickly closed his eyes. Kreacher covered all three of them with a blanket and after small 'Thank you' from Harry he left the room.

Last thing Harry remembered before he fell asleep was how good it felt to have Teddy and Hermione by his side.

* * *

The room smelt like oranges, more precisely oranges and spice. The Christmas –tree was standing in the corner, as far away from the fireplace as it was possible. There was enormous pile of Christmas presents under it. The candles which stood on the fireplace were lit and the whole room had the air of Christmas Day.

He was lying on the couch, head propped against the arm of the couch, feet clad in woollen socks were propped on a cushion. He was reading something which looked like parchment. He took a closer look at himself, he looked older, more rough ... more Sirius-like.

His double from the couch muttered something about incompetent idiots before the door banged open and something which looked like a very weird mix of lime green and violet ran through the room and jumped on his double.

"Daddy!" the kid, which Harry could only assume to be a bit older Teddy, squalled.

"Teddy," his other self sighed as Teddy sat on his stomach and looked like he wasn't planning to move.

"Daddy why can't we open our presents today instead tomorrow?" asked Teddy with pure curiosity of a child.

"Because it's Christmas Eve and we open presents on Christmas Day," said other Harry.

"But mum said that we can open one present if we want," Teddy moaned.

"If mum says so the so be it," Harry sighed. "But not before she comes here with the boys."

'Boys? What the hell he... I'm talking about?' Harry though feverishly

"Okay," Teddy sighed as he stood up and allowed Harry's double to put his legs down and make more room on the couch before he scooted closer to him.

"Sirius James and Regulus Severus Black!" there was a little commotion in the hall outside the room and before Harry realised what had happened the two little boys around three or four years old wobbled into the room. "I swear that if you don't stop I'm going to put you under tickling charm for the rest of the day."

The boys glanced at each other and then in the direction of the voice before they quickly wobbled in Harry's direction.

Harry found himself intrigued by what he saw. Two identical black-haired heads and brown eyes indicated that the boys were twins and judging by the general look they were his sons. He didn't had time to observe more because someone else entered the room.

It was a woman in late twenties. Her hair which were cut shortly were very curly and had nice brown colour. Her cheeks were rosy, lips pink and the colour of her eyes reminded Harry someone he already knew. She was practically glowing and Harry quickly realised why, the woman was pregnant and as far as Harry remembered from his biology lessons the woman could be around the sixth month of the pregnancy.

"If you intent to keep them on reasonable leash I suggest changing approach," Harry's double called from the couch.

"I swear that the older they get the worse I can handle them," said the woman.

"You are handling them fine," said Harry's double as he patted the free space behind him which wasn't occupied by Teddy. "I say it's Christmas fever, has an easy cure."

The woman sat behind Harry's double and one of the boys climbed up her knees while the other tried to get one Harry's knees.

"I can't wait for their arrival, you know," she said lazily.

"Me too," Harry's double squeezed woman's hand. "They will be as beautiful as their mother and just as smart."

"Charmer," the woman snickered.

"What can I say?" Harry's double grinned. "I have the most beautiful wife. Three amazing boys and in three months we are going to have two beautiful little girls. I have successful job, a roof above my head and friends whom I trust. Oh yeah, I'm very lucky man."

"Speaking about friends," said the woman. "An invitation came with afternoon post. Says that Mrs and Mr Black together with kids are asked to attend the wedding of Mr Neville Longbottom and Mrs Ginny Campbell. Signed by Freddy Campbell."

"Freddy seems excited about his mother's wedding," said Harry's double.

"Excited?" laughed the woman. "The kid is practically on high since their engagement. It's a good thing too that they decided to invite us. It's a pity that Ron didn't invited us for his and Luna's."

"He made us godparents of Richie and Sam," Harry's double pointed out. "I say that we got pretty much forgiven if they graced us with this honour."

"Oh yeah, the Traitor-Who-Lived and the Scarlett Woman," laughed the woman. "Good thing that Neville and Luna were around."

"They are coming at Boxing Day, aren't they?" asked Harry's double.

"They are. Mrs Weasley still didn't forgave us. After all we destroyed her best laid plans," said the woman.

"Should we feel bad Hermione?" asked Harry's double.

'Hermione?' Harry thought frantically. 'This is Hermione?'

"Definitely ... no," grinned Hermione.

"Can we open presents now?" asked Teddy suddenly.

"Just one," Harry's double and Hermione said at the same time.

* * *

The scene before him shifted before he managed to get over from the first shock after finding out that his dream wife was Hermione. The house in which he found himself looked suspiciously like the house in Godric's Hallow. He was lying on a couch with a book in his lap. The fire was crackling merrily. On the floor together with Teddy who didn't looked older than three years was sitting Hermione. She looked more like Hermione he knew, long hair hanging loosely. He grinned at the scene it was more familiar than the previous dream.

Suddenly he was overcame by a sense of dread, that something bad was about to happen. His senses went high wire. Something wasn't good. Suddenly the door clicked open and he realised.

"Hermione. It's him. Take Teddy and ran. I will try to hold him for a while," he yelled as he jolted from the couch pulling his wand out of his sleeve as he did so.

She grabbed Teddy without questions and rushed upstairs.

The door opened and the room immediately chilled out.

"Harry Potter," hissed the voice.

He knew it, he could recognise it everywhere. Voldemort. But how he...

He saw the jet of green light coming in his direction but he was too surprised to do anything other than stare. It hit him squarely in the chest and everything went black.

He jolted awake and breathed out in relief when he realised that he was sitting in the study. Hermione and Teddy were still sleeping peacefully. He took in and let out a breath before he berated himself for being afraid because it was just a stupid dream, Voldemort was properly dead for at least a year and this time there was no way for him to come back.

He made sure that the blanket didn't slid off from Hermione and Teddy before he sighed, closed his eyes and fell asleep. This time he didn't dreamed about anything.

* * *

**Awaiting criticism - like always. I'm replying as long as you leave me your email or you log in while reviewing. Bring my ego down ;)**

_That's very interesting chapter, if you look closely you might realise why I think so. For now let's take care of the most frequently asked question - no, Harry isn't Sirius's son, at least in biological sense. The whole change problem will be explained in due time. Also my personal favourite, Harry's dreams, their meanings are very important and someday they are going to save someone's life. Interpretation of the dream with Voldemort will be taken care of later._

**Next chapter: **Harry has a heart to heart with Houseboard, gets promoted and lands in big trouble. On his way he meets furious Ron and the outcome of this one doesn't end very good to Harry. Later he meets one of two of his newest nuisances (nuisance number two is going to make an appearance in chapter six) in his already complicated life and has an emotional break down.


	4. Chapter 4: Humpty Dumpty

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or anything what you can recognize from the books. I do however own the plot of this story but I don't have profits because of it unless you count improving my English as a profit.

**Preview:**Harry has a heart to heart with Houseboard, gets promoted and lands in big trouble. On his way he meets furious Ron and the outcome of this one doesn't end very good to Harry. Later he meets one of two of his newest nuisances (nuisance number two is going to make an appearance in chapter six) in his already complicated life and has an emotional break down.

**So** **_read, enjoy and review (because I love to read your criticism and as long as you are logged in or I have your email I'm answering to your questions)._**

_Thanks to my beta MyUsedRomance who put up with my grammar and offered to beta read this story._

* * *

**Chapter Four: Humpty Dumpty**

Harry poured himself another cup of coffee, the second one he's had since he arrived to the Aurors' Headquarters about an hour ago. His first day after the time off started shitty; he overslept since the alarm failed to work this morning. During the weekend Hermione managed to catch a cold and after taking a Pepper-Up Potion she went to sleep a bit more. Since her taking care of Teddy in the morning was out of the question Harry had to handle a fussy fourteen-month-old toddler all by himself. After spitting out cereal on Harry from head to toe, Teddy put a fight about changing diaper and fresh clothes. He felt guilty about feeling relieved when Kreacher came into the bathroom and told him that he had to go to work unless he wanted to be even more late than he already was and that he will take care of "Puppy until Miss wakes up"; hopefully feeling a bit better.

The first thing he got after he arrived (an hour late) was a tongue lashing from Melvin for his tardy. After a huge argument in the middle of the Headquarters, he promised that it would never happen again and went straight to the pot with the coffee.

On the top of everything which had happened in the morning he didn't get too much of sleep last night. The nightmare had returned twice since he dreamed about it for the first time, the second time happened just last night. It was frustrating him greatly because he knew that Voldemort was dead, all Horcruxes gone and there was no fucking way for him to come back.

Melvin made sure that Harry had to get acquainted with the cases they got when he wasn't working. On the top of that he had a meeting with Houseboard at lunch and another meeting, this time less social after that one, with Kingsley. Luckily for him since he entered the building he didn't see anyone with red-hair and that was the only good thing which had happened today.

He reminded himself to not bless the day before it ended and with a heavy sigh he picked up the first folder and began to read.

* * *

Houseboard was running five minutes late and Harry started twitching. He really didn't needed to be late at the meeting with Kingsley so he decided that if the man didn't showed in the next five minutes he would simply send him a message once he went back to the Ministry. Fortunately, in the same moment he decided to do so, Houseboard entered the coffee shop.

"You look like something Kneazel dragged in, Potter," said the man as he sat down on the chair opposite to Harry.

"And good morning to you too, Houseboard," Harry muttered grimly.

"Bad day, huh?" Houseboard inquired.

"You can say so," Harry sighed. "She is up for the job."

"Glad to hear that, she will do splendidly," said Houseboard. "Speaking about her how is she now, a bit better?"

"Frankly, no," Harry mumbled. "Came down with a cold during the weekend so she is cranky and snappy like you've got no idea. On the top of that Teddy was fussy this morning and better part of his breakfast ended on me instead in his stomach."

"Joys of parenthood," sighed Houseboard.

"Do you have some experience you can share with me?" Harry asked not really caring for the answer.

Houseboard was silent for a moment before he asked, "Did he start walking?"

"Not really," Harry answered. "He crawls though. Andromeda didn't want to push him and neither do I. He will have to start someday and it would be better if he decided to do so on his own. How old is your kid?"

Houseboard sighed heavily before he said quietly, "Cecilia would have been attending Hogwarts in the fall and Toby would have been six."

The use of tenses alarmed Harry's sense and he asked slowly, "What had happened to them?"

"Death Eaters," the answer simply came. "They killed Flora and the kids shortly before Christmas ... I was in the town, shopping; that's how I survived."

Harry glanced at Houseboard, the man's face was completely blank, no emotion at all.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

It seemed to snap out Houseboard from his stupor and he waved his left hand.

"What's past stays past, Potter. I miss them, though," he said. "Everybody has its own way of dealing with it. Mine was always work."

"Do you want to spend the rest of your life like that?" asked Harry quietly.

"Not really. Maybe not this year but perhaps someday I will meet a woman with whom I would want to grow old and have another kid or two," answered Houseboard simply.

He couldn't rationally explain it but he suddenly felt a deep unyielding need to talk with someone about his nightmare. He couldn't really tell it to Hermione, and Ron was out of questions. He glanced at Houseboard, the man shared with him something very personal, he confided in him so maybe it wouldn't hurt to tell Houseboard about his nightmare.

"I had a nightmare last night," he said simply. "Third time actually. Since the day I talked to you."

Houseboard didn't say anything but give a small nod prompting Harry to continue.

"When I meet a Dementor for the first time at thirteen I heard what had happened short before Voldemort attacked my parents. My father telling my mother to grab me and run. The nightmare is the same ... The only thing which is different is that it's not my parents who Voldemort attacks. It's me and Hermione, and Teddy. I tell her to take Teddy and run. Then he comes and kills me before I can do anything," Harry said quietly. "I don't know what it is all about."

Houseboard was silent for a moment. He took a sip of his coffee before he finally said, "You care for them Potter. You care and you are very afraid about their safety. Your mind mixes your memories with your fears and it provides you with what you dream. You are afraid to fail them, you are afraid of what could happen to them if you fail. It's reasonable, considering everything which had happened to her and the kid."

"But, what about Voldemort? He is dead, for good. Why am I dreaming about him?" Harry asked frustrated with the fact.

"He was a treat to you for a very long time," said Houseboard. "Your mind associates your fear with him. It's not about him; he is just a personalisation of your fear of failure, nothing less, nothing more."

"Thank Merlin," Harry sighed; a bit more calm that Houseboard explained it reasonably.

"Glad that I could help," said Houseboard sincerely.

"You are welcome," Harry gave him a small smile. "Do you want to come to dinner sometime this week?" he asked suddenly. "I think that Hermione would appreciate the company once she gets better, not to mention grill you about Luna's progress."

"I didn't doubt even for a single moment that she would do it. Actually I was going to ask you if you didn't mind if I came around," answered Houseboard.

"I think that by Friday she will be fine," Harry said.

"Six o'clock suits you?" asked Houseboard.

"Unless Melvin will put me on night duty it suits me well," Harry admitted.

"He won't," said Houseboard. "He is an ass but a human too. As far as I know him he took everything that happened into consideration and while he will act like an ass he will respect the fact that a lot of things in your private life have changed and you have to get used to a lot of new things. I say that he won't put you on a night duty for next two weeks and that it wouldn't happen until it's really necessary."

"Why is he like that? You know, this way?" Harry asked suddenly.

"His wife," answered Houseboard. "Committed suicide when their twins were two months old. Killed one of the kids before she killed herself. It's his way of dealing with it."

"Oh," Harry mumbled.

"He took it really hard. A blow hard to take. He worked his ass like a madman and at the same time had to take care of his daughter. And people were different these days, old friends turned their backs on him, no one was helping him ... he started drinking too much. Nearly lost the job because of it. It took a while before he came back to the point he was in before his wife and son died," said Houseboard pensively.

"Why did he never admit it?" Harry asked.

"Because it's private. He used to be very passionate about what he was doing. Took cases personally, identified himself with victims. He was born to be an Auror. Everything which had happened made him loose this passion somewhere. I don't really blame him. Everybody has an own unique way of dealing with bad things. That's his," Houseboard answered with a shrug.

"Now I feel bad," Harry muttered. "I sort of yelled at him this morning that he doesn't understand what I was going through for last few weeks and that he is a complete ass. I think that's why I have a meeting with Shacklebolt today after lunch."

"You didn't know and he knows that you didn't," said Houseboard. "I don't think that the meeting with Shacklebolt would be about Melvin. I may be wrong but I seriously doubt it. I think we should get back to the Ministry unless you want to be late."

* * *

It turned out that Houseboard was right and the meeting with Kingsley wasn't about Melvin. Kingsley informed him that starting September Harry was going to be moved into Auror training as a trainer and once it would end he was going to get his own team.

Once he left Kingsley's office he ran into Melvin who told him to come with him. He followed the man and was very surprised when they ended in the same coffee-shop he met with Houseboard.

Once they had their coffees put in front of them Melvin said, "You remind me of Sirius Black, Potter."

Harry raised one eyebrow questioningly. He really didn't know what it was all about.

"Actually, it's not surprising since you and him were related," Melvin continued being cryptic.

"Your point, boss?" Harry asked warily.

"Yep, Sirius Black to the bone," Melvin said. "As for the point. He was damnably good Auror with a great future. So are you. If you apply yourself to the job I would be really surprised if you didn't make Head of the Office in, let's say ten years, maybe twelve."

Harry didn't say anything and waited for Melvin to explain.

"I wouldn't hand your file to Shacklebolt unless I was absolutely sure that you will do your job. Till September you are going to work with me and we will meet again around April once you start taking your trainers to the field. You are going to still be answering to me until they graduate in September next year, unless you happen to get some smart kids just like you. If it's so then it's going to take less time," said Melvin simply.

"Thank you," said Harry. "It's an honour to get into trainers so short after finishing the training."

"Phew," muttered Melvin. "It has nothing to do with honour Potter. It's about doing your job and doing it good. You done splendidly with Roberts's murder, and Harrows case. Lestranges was too personal but thanks to you we can only worry about Rodolphus and Rastaban," he said quickly.

Harry nodded slowly.

"How are your girl and the kid? I heard from Arthur Weasley that she sent her almost fiancé on the merry way last week," Melvin asked.

"She is sick, came down with a cold. As for the kid, he was fussy this morning, otherwise fine," Harry answered with a shrug. "She thought about entering the Auror training in September, we are looking for a good day-care for Teddy."

"Houseboard wasn't very happy about her resignation from what I heard," said Melvin. "Heard that you threatened him with an investigation. Again something which you and Black share."

"I just wanted to check how much of the mess I can clear off," Harry muttered.

"Actually there is something else I wanted to talk to you about. Narcissa Malfoy pulled few strings and there is going to be a case against you in August, unless you decide to pull off a good stunt sooner," Melvin suddenly changed the subject.

"What kind of a case?" Harry asked alarmed.

"She decided that you got the Black family fortune against the law. Something about not being related close enough to get all that inheritance. The law is the law and unless you do something about it you are going to lose that case and she is going to get everything you got from Black," Melvin answered.

"What I'm supposed to do about it?" Harry asked, not really knowing what Melvin was implying.

"There is a way to beat her. A legal one. You see once the case is opened you are going to be suspended and the possibility of you getting promoted anytime soon vanishes. I hate to lose a good Auror for that bitch so I strongly advise you to do what I'm saying," Melvin said quickly.

"What it is?" Harry asked.

"In the evening I'm going to drop you a document. A Blood Adoption Warrant, filed almost to the very end by Sirius Orion Black on behalf of Harry James Potter. The thing is that if you decide to sign it you are going to change your name to Black. I will make sure that in every freaking document your name will be changed to Black. From Shacklebolt, I know that you spent Christmas in your fifth year with Black, you will have to put the date from that period of time in the warrant," Melvin explained.

"You are telling me that if I don't do it I will..." Harry started but Melvin cut him off quickly.

"End in very deep shit."

It shocked Harry, but he knew that Melvin was right. If he decided to not do it he could lose his job, his house and maybe even his freedom.

"Why you are helping me?" he asked finally.

"As I said you are a good Auror. I hate to lose one of the best Aurors I happened to know in my career to that pure-blood bitch. Plus she has every fucking reason to find a way to destroy your life. You know what I'm talking about," said Melvin quickly.

"I will do it," Harry said quietly. "I have to. If not for myself, then for Teddy."

"That's good," said Melvin proudly. "I knew that you were smart."

Harry grimaced a bit.

"I'm going to come around seven o'clock in the evening. Tomorrow morning you will come to me with the Warrant hidden in a file of Norbert's case which I strongly advise you to take home. Hopefully by the end of the week everything should be done and there would be nothing to worry about till August when you are going to show the copy of the Warrant to the Wizengamot. After that there is nothing to worry about," said Melvin.

"Thank you," Harry said. "I know that you may have problems because of it."

"I'm an old man. I have my best days very much behind me. My daughter has her husband and the kid and if anything happens to me she will be fine on her own," Melvin shrugged. "You on the other hand are young with a shitload of years in front of you. You can't lose it because of Narcissa Malfoy."

Harry had to agree with that.

* * *

"I invited Houseboard for dinner this Friday," was the first thing Harry had said when Hermione opened the door for him with Teddy sitting on her left hip. "I hope that you don't mind. And Melvin is going to drop something after dinner."

"I don't mind at all. Wash your hands and get down to the kitchen. Kreacher allowed me to bake a strawberry casserole for desert," she said.

"You are feeling better, aren't you?" he asked as he followed her to the kitchen.

"Hands," she reminded him without turning back to face him.

"I distinctly remember having a sink and soap in the kitchen," he said with a small smile.

He washed his hands before he went to pick up Teddy from her.

"Hey Teddy," he said as he hugged the kid. "I have been promoted."

"They promoted you?" Hermione asked in surprise. "So soon?"

"Trainer. I will start in September. After that I'm going to get my own team," he said happily. "Unless Narcissa decides to fuck this up too."

"What has she done?" Hermione asked as she put the Sheppard's pie in front of him.

"Decided to charge me but she won't succeed. Luckily for me Melvin found a way around. I will fill out the Warrant and she can kiss by bum," he answered.

"Blood Adoption Warrant?" she asked curiously. "Who is adopting you?"

"Not _is_ Hermione," he said. "Already did. Sirius."

"You are going to be Harry Black, aren't you?" she asked.

"I have to if I want to work and live happily," he answered. "It's nothing I can't live with. I mean I always wanted to live with Sirius. He might be dead but he is still my family."

"If you are okay with it so am I," she said.

They ate in silence for a while before Hermione asked, "Did you run into any of the Weasleys today?"

"Nope," he answered. "I didn't see anyone with a red hair, unless you count Melvin. But then again he isn't a Weasley."

"It's a wonder that they didn't try to get here," she said pensively.

"They probably tried but since I asked Kreacher to make sure that no one enters the house without my permission they didn't," he said.

They finished the dinner in comfortable silence before Hermione told Harry to give Teddy a bath and put him to sleep while she washed the dishes.

When he came back to the kitchen he found Hermione chatting with Melvin over a cup of tea.

"Auror Black," said Melvin as he patted a file which was lying on the table next to him.

"Good evening Auror Prewett," he gave the man a small smile.

"This place is awfully cosy. Frankly I expected something more dark from the house of Black family," Melvin admitted.

"It used to be dark, but Harry renovated the house last year," said Hermione as she poured tea into free cup and handed it to Harry.

Melvin nodded before he said, "I've heard from Mr B-to-be that you decided to enter Auror training Miss Granger."

"I did," she nodded. "I heard that McNally is retiring next year and that Houseboard thought about employing someone younger."

"IAC?" Melvin sounded surprised. "You aim very high Missy."

"I can at least try to apply and if he won't take me then I can finish the rest of the training and be Mr B-to-be's pain in the ass," she gave a small shrug.

"How do you know that you are going to end in his team?" Melvin asked.

"Hero-complex," she said simply while looking at Harry pointedly. "He will sacrifice himself for greater good, won't he?"

He hadn't thought about it until now, but Hermione had a point.

"Come to think about it you are right. When it comes to creating good team it's good to know that people from the team trust each other and with your history you could make a great team," said Melvin.

"But till September I enjoy my unemployment," she said. "Gives me plenty of time to study between taking care of Teddy. Speaking about Teddy, you didn't have problems with putting him to bed, did you?"

He shook his head and said, "I read him a story and he fell asleep in the middle of it."

They continued their little chit-chat for about half of hour before Melvin said that he really had to get going. Harry saw him off before he came back to the kitchen and watched Hermione finish drying the cups.

"Did you mean what you said tonight?" he asked quietly. "About joining the Aurors."

"I did," she answered without turning around to face him.

"I don't want you to," he said quietly. "It's dangerous."

"Excuse me!" she said angrily as turned around to face him. "You can be an Auror but I can't?!"

"It's dangerous," he repeated. "You nearly died... You are being unreasonable."

"What?" she asked clearly offended. "Oh I get it. You were as much pissed at Ron as I was and now you are acting just like him, you filthy hypocrite! Both of you would just love to have me staying at home and taking care of the house and kids! It's my fucking life and I'm doing whatever I want with it, I won't have any of you make my decisions for me! You might as well try to find another babysitter for Teddy because I'm moving out by midnight!" she spat and left the kitchen.

He sat down at the table with a heavy sigh. He really did it this time. Clearly fate loved helping him in fucking up with his life and everything he ever loved.

If he wanted her to stay, he had to find a way quickly or else it would have been too late.

He went upstairs and stood up in front of her door. He could hear noises from the inside, signalling that she was really packing her things. He knocked on the door but received no answer. He waited a moment before he opened it and eased inside.

"I always thought that you were the most brilliant witch I have ever met and that's what I will always think about you Hermione," he said as he leaned against the wall while watching her pack. "But it stops mattering when I know that you are in danger. I don't want you to be an Auror because I'm worried about you. I'm afraid to lose you and I nearly lost you, twice. You will do what you want and I know it but I will never stop worrying about you. That's all I wanted to say, I will let you pack in peace," he said and left her room.

He went upstairs to the only room which offered him a bit of comfort in last few weeks, Sirius's bedroom. He sat on the bed and stared at his shoes. Nothing he said would stop her from leaving, he knew it.

"Did you mean what you said?" he heard suddenly coming from the direction of the door "in my room."

"Every word," he said without looking in her direction.

"Since I remember I was worried about you," she said. "Every time. And I know that I always will. That's why I decided to join the Aurors if Houseboard turned down my application. To be there with you, to watch your back when you are looking for other people. You always had a knack for watching for other people's backs, but not your own."

"I have a Hero-complex," he sighed. "You said it yourself and as always you were right."

"We always made good partners," she said and he heard her getting closer to him.

He nodded, she was right like always.

"I care," she said as she sat down next to him.

"So do I," he turned his head to look in her eyes.

"Come to the kitchen, I will help you with filling out the Warrant," she said with a small smile.

He was wrong but he couldn't have been any happier to be. She didn't say it but her actions spoke better than any words. She was staying.

* * *

Tuesday seemed to start better than Monday. Hermione didn't leave. Harry slept all night long without even a single dream. Teddy was happier than yesterday, although Harry once again ended with Teddy's breakfast on himself due to the fact that Teddy decided that toasts are far better to throw at someone than actually eating them. On his way to the Ministry he walked with Hermione and Teddy to the shop and they parted their ways in peace. The Blood Adoption Warrant was hidden safely in Norberts case and immediately after Harry entered Melvin's cubicle he left it in the man's hands.

He spent the morning and better part of his lunchtime in Canterbury where an old squib robbed the drug-store. On his way back to the Ministry he grabbed a sandwich and intended to eat it as soon as he came back. However, when he entered the Department of Magical Law Enforcement his luck decided to take a lunch break on its own.

At the Auror Headquarters' secretary's desk he saw two red-heads, Mr Weasley and Ron. He tried to turn around and leave unnoticed when he heard the secretary calling for him, "Auror Black it's good that you are here. These gentlemen came looking for you."

'Auror Black. So Melvin took the care of everything while I was out,' he thought as he gave a smile which ended looking more as a grimace.

"Harry, since when are you a Black?" asked Mr Weasley, he sounded surprised and worried but just it.

Ron stormed in his direction and before Harry had a chance to react a hard blow hit his head. He lost his balance and hit the back of his head against the nearest cubicle. For a moment everything seemed to swim around him and he heard distant voice calling his name.

It took him a moment to realise that someone was kneeling next to him and flashing the light in his eyes. It hurt.

"My sister's gone missing and I want this asshole to find her," he heard Ron's voice.

"You are an asshole yourself, Weasley," he heard Melvin's voice and he dared to open his eyes.

Melvin was standing in front of Mr Weasley and a fuming Ron. Behind him, probably every freaking Auror was on duty was standing.

"She went missing two days after this dick kicked us out. He is going to find her and apologize," Ron spat.

"There was no trace of fight, Mr Prewett," said the secretary quickly. "I was taking the statements from these two gentlemen when Auror Black walked in."

"He isn't going anywhere," said Ernie McMillan firmly. "I bet my wand that he has a concussion and the only place he is going now is St. Mungo for the check up," his voice seemed to be coming from very close so Harry assumed that it was Ernie who was kneeling by him.

"My application for Auror training," said Ron and he handed Melvin a file.

Melvin took the file and gave it a look of pure disgust before he did something which surprised everyone in the room. He pulled out his wand and set it on fire.

"Rejected," he said with a voice full of venom.

"You burn it down!" Ron exclaimed.

"I did," Melvin said with a shrug. "Tell me, my boy did you studied hard to get to the Aurors?"

"I did," said Ron.

"You are lying," stated Melvin calmly. "Cause if you really studied hard you would know the Campbell's Law. We are very fond of using it."

"What's the Campbell's Law?" Ron asked, clearly surprised.

Harry knew what was the Campbell's Law and he groaned. He knew what was coming and a little bit of him was sorry for Ron.

"Campbell's Law says: any man or a woman who applied for a position of an Auror in a span of five years assaulted an Auror will be rejected immediately after handing the application and a notification will be posted in the man's file for future reference," said Ernie grimly. "See you in five years, Ron. Auror Prewett I'm taking Auror Black to St. Mungo's," he turned to Melvin.

"Make sure that he will follow whatever they tell him to do and come back as soon as you can," said Melvin calmly. "You will be in charge of the Weasley girl searching squad."

Ernie nodded and he helped Harry stand up.

"I'm fine," Harry mumbled. "A bit dizzy, that's all," he said as the world around him swayed dangerously and if Ernie wasn't holding his arm he would end laying flat on the floor.

"He has mild brain concussion," he heard Melvin's voice.

* * *

Travelling by Portkey to the St. Mungo left him even dizzier but not dizzy enough to try to make Ernie leave him.

"I'm fine seriously," he mumbled. "Nothing a day of bed rest can't fix."

"Let me be the judge of it," he heard someone's voice from the right.

"Healer Clearwater," said Ernie. "He was knocked into the wall, very hard. He is dizzy, we suspect a brain concussion."

"I trust that your department will be taking the care of the charge against his attacker," she said.

"I'm not pressing any charges," Harry muttered, sure he was pissed at Ron but not that much.

"If you don't press them, then we will do it," Ernie said grimly. "He knocked you out in the middle of Auror Headquarters'. Healer Clearwater please proceed."

"Will you be staying with the patient?" she asked.

"I have to tell the boss how long he will be out from work," said Ernie.

She knelt in front of him and flashed the light into his eyes. He flinched and closed his eyes.

"Mild brain concussion. At least a week of strict bed rest. If by Sunday you are still feeling dizzy come back. Till then you are on strict bed rest and Anti-Concussion Potion. You will come back on Sunday for a check up," she said as she stood up. "I will come back in a moment with the Potion for you Mr ... Black and the paperwork for you, Auror McMillan."

He heard her leaving and sighed heavily. Great, two days of work and he already is out for another week.

"Is Hermione at home?" asked Ernie.

He nodded.

"She is staying at home, isn't she?" Ernie asked.

"Unemployed till September," he mumbled the answer.

Penelope came back and handed the Potion to Harry and the paperwork to Ernie.

"Come on, I'm taking you home," said Ernie when Harry downed the Potion to the last drop.

This time they apparated to the front door, with Harry hanging on Ernie's shoulders. Ernie knocked and waited for someone to answer. After a moment the door opened and they saw an alarmed Hermione.

"Oh, Merlin!" she gasped. "Ernie what had happened to him?" she asked as she picked Harry's other arm and draped across her shoulders.

"Mild brain concussion," answered Ernie. "Strict bed rest till Sunday and Anti-Concussion Potion."

"Who did it?" she asked as they were climbing up the stairs to Harry's room.

"Ron," Ernie muttered grimly. "Knocked him out in the middle of Aurors Headquarter shortly before he handed Melvin his application for the training. Melvin made a show of burning it down."

"Serves him right," Hermione huffed.

"Upstairs," Harry whispered when they reached the landing on which his bedroom was situated.

"Sirius's bedroom?" she asked with concern.

He gave a small nod. They lead him upstairs and put him in Sirius bed and after a moment he fell asleep.

* * *

He woke up only for a moment in the evening to take another dose of Anti-Concussion Potion before he fell asleep again.

Next time when he opened his eyes he saw Hermione curled in the armchair next to the bed, she was sleeping peacefully. He looked carefully around searching for the clock, twelve o'clock and judging by the lack of the sun in the room it was midnight. He glanced down and saw Teddy curled on the bed. They had to be by his side all the time.

He turned around and saw his wand laying on the bedside table. He reached for it and as carefully as he could he levitated Hermione from the armchair and put her on the bed. After draping her and Teddy with the cover, he fell asleep again.

* * *

He woke up slowly. Alone. It took him a moment to realise that someone was standing by the window. He took a closer look to try to recognise the intruder. The intruder, however, realised that he was being watched.

"Harry Black," said the man as he turned around and Harry breathed out in relief because it was Sirius.

"Hey dad," he gave him a small smile.

"Hey son," Sirius smiled back as he got closer to the bed. "Concussion, huh?"

"A wall and I had a little disagreement," he shrugged.

Sirius sat down on the bed and said, "A big one judging by the order of strict bed rest for a week."

"She doesn't like me very much. Pity that it happened on my second day after coming back to work again," Harry mumbled.

"You like this room," Sirius said suddenly, "better than your own bedroom."

"I feel better here," Harry replied shortly. "I can't really explain it."

"You seek comfort," Sirius stated. "A wise man told me once that even if walls are just walls you still leave an imprint of yourself in the rooms you used to live. I'm dead and you are alive. You didn't move anything in this room since you started living here."

"Sometimes when I'm here, I have a feeling that you are going to walk through the door and tell me that the veil was just a joke and that you are alive," Harry whispered.

Sirius said nothing for a long moment and just stared at his own hands.

"After you get better I want you to do something," he said finally without raising his head. "After you get better I want you to come here and pack everything which can be packed, bring down the walls and put them back again, because it's the only way of getting rid of Permanent Sticking Charm. Renovate it in the way it pleases you and make it your own bedroom."

"Why?" Harry asked surprised.

Sirius raised his head and looked at Harry before he said, "Because you cling desperately to the past, it's not healthy. I'm dead Harry, I'm not coming back and I'm not going to use this room ever again."

Harry understood it but still didn't like it.

"It's a part of you," he whispered. "I never had a lot trinkets left after mum and dad and neither after you. I know that they are just things, but they are things with history."

"You want something which will remind you of us," said another voice from the opposite side of the room.

"James," Sirius tone indicated a warning.

Harry turned his head in his direction and saw his father. He was leaning against the wall and grinning at Harry.

"You cling to bits and pieces Padfoot left behind. But I tell you what," he said as he moved closer to the bed. "He already gave you something which is more valuable than anything he left you. More than this house, your broom and every single Knut in the vault."

"James!" Sirius hissed.

James sat down on the bed and put his left hand on Harry's hearth and said, "He left you this. Someone told me once that people we love leave their imprints in us and even if they are dead and gone you still have something left. Their love. That was what saved you from Voldemort possessing you that night in the Ministry three years ago and again when Bellatrix tried to kill you it was this love which saved you that night. Sirius left in you deeper imprint than any other person."

"James!" Sirius hissed again.

"He left you his own soul. That's why he is the first person you reach for in here. Blood Adoption or not, Sirius is a part of you and he always will be a part of you, in more ways than you think. In more ways that he would want you to be," James gave him a small smile.

"Go to hell, Prongs," Sirius muttered.

"Been there. Too toasty," James said with a grin and then he turned to Harry. "A daddy's advice. Once you get better, start training Animagi transformation and you would have decided that you don't need this room."

"A godfatherly advice. Don't. Listen. To. Your. Father," Sirius muttered, accenting every word.

"If you two could finish having this argument somewhere else, poor Harry could get a much deserved rest," there was an annoyed voice coming from the doorway.

Harry glanced there and saw his mother. She was staring pointedly at two men who were sitting on Harry's bed.

"We aren't having an argument Lily Flower. We are only having a disagreement," said James simply.

"Yeah," she snorted. "And Voldemort wasn't bad, just misunderstood."

Harry snickered at that. Part of him regretted that they were dead. Catching a glimpse of how his life could have been if all of them were alive was a nice thing though.

"You two leave him in peace," she ordered before she turned to him. "And you sleep, rest, read, count Snitches. I don't care what you do as long as you aren't leaving the bed."

"Yes mum," he grinned.

* * *

He woke up slowly feeling that his right arm was numb and that he was far warmer than the coverlet could provide. He opened one eye and saw that Hermione's head was lying on his arm and that Teddy once again was sleeping on his stomach. He adjusted the coverlet so it wouldn't slide off from them and once again fell asleep.

* * *

By Friday afternoon Hermione let him out from the bed but not before giving him a quick check up and telling him that if he started feeling dizzy he was supposed to tell her immediately. Thankfully after being dizzy for remaining part of Tuesday and Wednesday he felt good for Thursday and Friday.

Being allowed to get up from bed made him immediately feel better because even if he caught up with reading and stuff while he was lying in his bed he really wanted to get out. After dressing up and eating lunch he suddenly remembered something his father had said in his dream. He knew that he still wasn't in shape and he probably wouldn't be in shape for next few days but it really wouldn't hurt if he at least checked up the books about the subject.

After spending half of an hour persuading Hermione that he and Teddy would be fine on their own in the library he managed to leave her in the kitchen during her talk with Kreacher about today's dinner.

With Teddy set in the playpen with few toys of his he wandered to the bookshelf which held books concerning Transfiguration. He didn't know Sirius' father very well and what he knew about the man didn't make him want to know more, but he really had to admit to Mr Black that he was an excellent librarian.

'Guide to Animagi Transformation' was standing next to 'Guide to Advanced Transfiguration' so Harry quickly picked it up and came back to his usual armchair and started reading from time to time raising his eyes from the book at Teddy who seemed to be doing fine on his own. He didn't realised when he drifted off to sleep.

He was still in the study and, in fact, hadn't left the armchair, but he realised that once again he had reached someone in his sleep. He survived the room cautiously not really knowing whom he brought this time because whomever it was didn't seemed to get him or herself known to Harry.

Finally he found him sitting at the desk and flipping through the stuff which was laying on it. At first he thought that it was Sirius since the man looked like his carbon copy although with more greying hair.

"Something troubling you, kid?" asked the man without raising his head.

"Not really," Harry mumbled.

"I say something is troubling you," the man said and finally raised his head giving Harry the chance to stare into man's stunningly grey eyes. "And judging by that line on your forehead it's the cub."

"Excuse me ... who?" Harry asked surprised.

"The cub. Puppy. Kid. That little fellow whom you are bringing up," said the man.

"Oh," Harry sighed. "How do you know it's him?"

"Being a father of two generally helps knowing when someone is thinking about their kids. Especially if one of the said kids makes you think that you are bringing up half of a dozen," said the man. "I knew Janus Lupin for seven years. Wouldn't sit straight for even five minutes until you actually glued him to the bench and even then it wouldn't work for very long. His kid seemed to take it after his dad ... until poor chap got attacked ... Considering history and genetics you've got the worse combination possible. Having Lupin's genetic inability to stay in one place for longer than five minutes mixed with the one coming from the Blacks makes me feel bad for you. Once he starts walking you will really start considering using gluing the kid to some flat surface."

"You are Sirius's father," Harry said quietly.

"And technically you are his son," the man replied.

"Huh?" Harry mumbled.

"Sorry I thought that we were playing 'State the Obvious'. Turns that I got it wrong," chuckled the man.

Harry gave a small snicker at that.

"Good thing that you got his sense of humour. Your grandfather didn't take the change very well," he said. He looked like he was thinking about something and then he added, "In fact, had he been alive I'm sure he would have died from being offended that you didn't like the name he wore so proudly and picked mine."

"You knew my grandfather?" asked Harry surprised.

"Knew?" Mr Black snorted. "That's an understatement. His father used to work with mine and his mother happened to be second cousin of my mother. Plus he married Dorea. I was her first cousin once removed and she also happened to be my wife's aunt. We used to work in the same department too."

"So you knew my father?" Harry asked curiously.

"A bit. Walburga wasn't very happy when they were bringing him around on occasions. Said that he was a bad influence for the boys. As if anything could influence Sirius," Mr Black said with small smile.

"They failed to mention that," Harry mumbled.

"They didn't know. They hadn't a right to know that Harry," Mr Black sighed and Harry was surprised that he used his first name. "You've got to understand that years ago things used to be different. Charlus, Janus, Alphard and I were born in the same belated year of 1929. Times were dark, not nearly as dark as it was with Voldemort but dark enough. The Blacks weren't as black as the name claimed they were, and Potters weren't all nice and shiny."

"You mean ..." Harry started but didn't get a chance to finish.

"I mean exactly what I said. All three families used to remember old times. Bad times. I'm sure that Sirius had told you that the Blacks always stood up to what was written on the family crest and he wasn't exactly lying when he said it," Mr Black sighed heavily.

Harry stared at the man. Mr Black stared back. For a longer while they were just staring at each other before the older man said, "Come on. I want to show you something."

"We are in my head," Harry stated.

"That's why it will be easier for me to show you it here than having you running up and down the house looking for the trunk with the pensive, especially with that concussion of yours," Mr Black explained.

"Okay," Harry mumbled.

"The year we are going is 1666. More specific, September; the time of The Great Fire of London. Although it says that only six people had died in it, the sources which claim it are entirely muggle. If my memory serves me right the total count of people who died that night is 213, including Muggles. I also know that history books, muggles again, claim that the fire had started in a bakery. Frankly it didn't. Back then at large was one of numerous Dark Lords, his name was Titus Dunbarrow. Looking back at it with today perspective he wasn't very dangerous, not even half as dangerous as Voldemort or Grindelwald even."

"Your point sir?" Harry asked.

"My point is exactly what I'm going to show you," said Mr Black and pulled out his wand.

He waved it around conjuring silver mist which enveloped the room and suddenly everything around them had changed.

They were in a room which looked suspiciously like drawing room at Grimmauld Place. There was a lone man standing there and examining the family tree very closely. He was half-bald and tufts of black hair were standing here and there. He looked like he wasn't older than forty, eventually fifty. Suddenly the door to the room opened and Harry almost gasped when he saw the man who entered the room. It was perfect carbon copy of Sirius.

"Saw something interesting Reginald?" asked Sirius's lookalike.

The older man turned around to face the younger and nodded, "Tojurs Pur Sirius Orion Black. I thought that your family was above this pure-blood bigotry."

"You thought well," said the man called Sirius. "Always pure. But not necessarily in blood. Pure in your soul, your heart, your mind, your intentions. Everything you do. That's what Tojurs Pur stands in this family Potter."

"Sorry, you've got me a bit worried for a while that the leader of Order of the Phoenix could be a double-agent," said the man called Reginald.

"Scared of Dunbarrow, aren't you?" asked Sirius.

"Aren't we all?" asked Reginald.

"Some of us aren't scared at all, Potter," Sirius said quietly.

"We live longer than muggles Black, but no one found the way to ensure immortality. And no one lived long enough to get close enough to try to kill Dunbarrow. He guards himself too closely," said Reginald.

"You are mistaken my friend. Someone is going to get him and destroy him for good," the way Sirius had said it made Harry flinch, there was something in his voice which Harry didn't liked, even a single bit.

"You know something that we don't Sirius," said the voice from the doorway.

"Yes I do Janus my friend," said Sirius quietly. "Lock the door and I will tell you the truth."

The man called Janus sneezed before he locked the door and soundproofed it.

"Feeling a bit under the weather Lupin?" asked Reginald.

"If I hadn't spent two days straight sitting in the mud and waited for Lestranges I wouldn't get a stupid cold which happens to be a dead give-away when it comes to spying someone," Janus muttered.

"Tomorrow I will leave the Order of the Phoenix in your charge. Both of you respectively," said Sirius quietly not paying attention to what Janus just said.

"Why?" both men asked at the same time.

"Because I'm leaving," Sirius's voice was barely above a whisper. "I'm leaving on a mission from which I may not come back. I'm going to break into Dunbarrow's Den and kill him."

"It's a suicidal mission Sirius!" exclaimed Reginald.

"He will kill you before you even enter the Den!" Janus said fiercely.

"No," said Sirius grimly. "I won't die until he does."

"That's the most foolish thing I ever heard. You aren't immortal Sirius!" Reginald yelled.

"I'm not immortal, but I'm not mortal either," Sirius tone was blank.

"You're what?" both men exclaimed at the same time.

"I've found a way to ensure that I get into Dunbarrow's Den, don't die on the way, and kill him," Sirius said flatly. "I'm tired of it all boys. I'm tired of getting up every day and listening how many people he killed last night. I'm tired of being afraid about my family and friends," he sighed heavily.

"What's your way?" asked Janus carefully.

"Ever heard the word Horcrux?" asked Sirius quietly.

Harry gasped and the men shook their head.

"Of course you didn't. I would be seriously surprised if you did since I'm the one who invented it," Sirius muttered grimly.

Harry stared. It was a dream. A fucking variation of a nightmare. It couldn't be possible.

"What does it do?" asked Reginald fearfully.

"It's nothing but a trinket. A thing which happens to hide a piece of soul of the one who made it. As long as it's intact the person who made it cannot die," Sirius whispered.

"But how you hid a piece of soul in a trinket Sirius?" asked Janus quietly.

"By being me. An Auror, with years of practice under my belt. I'm not a saint. I never posed to be one. You both, more than any other people know that I've got more blood on my hands than any other Auror," Sirius said flatly.

"What it has to do with that Horcrux thing Sirius?" asked Reginald.

"Everything," Sirius mumbled. "Everything. If you ever studied the state of a person who killed someone, intentionally or not you would know that that act of killing someone splits the soul for good."

"Why are you telling us this Sirius?" asked Reginald.

"After I leave this place I want you to ensure that my notes concerning this subject are burnt down to nothing more than a pile of ashes. I know what I did and I know how dangerous it could be in the hands of a wrong person. When Dunbarrow is gone I want it destroyed," Sirius whispered.

"Why are you acting like you aren't going to come back from this mission?" asked Reginald. "I mean with this whole Horcrux thing you cannot be killed."

"I cannot die. Not be killed," said Sirius flatly. "As for the Horcrux I'm taking it with me and as soon as Dunbarrow is gone I intend to destroy it."

"Why?" asked Reginald.

"Because it's what is right," whispered Janus. "No one should have this power, am I right Sirius?" Sirius gave him a small nod. "What happens in here stays in here."

"If you say so," Reginald shrugged. "If you are done can we get back to the kitchen and plot while eating dinner?"

Sirius nodded and Reginald quickly left the room. Janus, however, remained behind and was staring at Sirius.

"Why do I have the feeling that this is the last time I'm seeing you, my friend?" Janus's voice was barely a whisper.

"Do you know why I joined the Aurors?" asked Sirius quietly.

"To protect us all," said Janus. "You never really wanted to be one. But it was what was right at that time."

"It was," Sirius agreed. "I never really wanted to live knowing that I killed someone. Dunbarrow will be my last and after him no one will come. I lived long enough seeing the faces of people who were foolish enough to follow Dunbarrow, or unfortunate enough to be too weak to oppose him Janus. I don't want to continue living with knowledge that I have someone's blood on my hands. Narcissa will be fine on her own, I've got enough money to ensure that she and the boys don't have to worry about their financial safety."

"You want to die," it was a statement, not a question.

"I do," the answer which came was barely above a whisper. "Please make sure that everything which concerns the Order of the Phoenix vanishes Janus. I want them to forget what we have been through. I want them all to forget who I was. I just want to be Sirius Orion Black who had been unfortunate and foolish enough to go after Dunbarrow and died. I don't want to be a hero."

"You will remain one, at least for me. Till I die and join you in the great beyond, my friend."

The scene before them had shifted and suddenly they were in a great chamber. On one side was lying a smoking corpse and on the other side another smoking corpse. The place looked pretty burned down.

"People wonder," said Mr Black suddenly. "People wonder what a man who is about die feels. How much it costs to walk with your head held high knowing that in a short time you will be nothing but a memory."

"He sacrificed himself," Harry whispered. "But, why did anyone not tell me about him?"

"Because knowledge about him lived as long as lived Janus Lupin, Harry. Reginald Potter and most of his family, as well as Narcissa, Phineas , Arcturus and most of the Blacks died that night in the fire. Lupin and his son were the only one who missed the fire. Of course some members of both Potters and Blacks survived because if they didn't neither you nor I would be there but they weren't in the Order of the Phoenix. And Janus followed Sirius's wishes, he oblivated every single member of the order who managed to survive."

"But Sirius's notes weren't destroyed," Harry whispered.

"No they weren't. Reginald convinced Janus that he would destroy them. He took them to Godric's Hallow and came back with his family to London. After he died his house was robbed by the man called Fletcher who sold it on the market and somehow they lasted through the ages, finally to be destroyed but not before some people made their own, albeit not as good as Sirius's notes about them. Thankfully for Sirius's memory his name as the creator of it had died with Janus. Not very comforting but at least it didn't served as a final nail to the coffin of his memory. He didn't deserve that, not with the sacrifice he made," said Mr Black grimly.

"Why was Sirius named after him?" asked Harry suddenly.

"Sirius got the name after my grandfather and tradition requires that the first born son gets the second name after his father. I want you to know that I didn't know anything about it all until I died," Mr Black said quietly. "Had I knew how it will impact on Sirius, I would have given him another name. They both died protecting the ones they loved dearly."

Harry felt tears in the corners of his eyes and blinked furiously. He didn't want to cry in front of Mr Black.

"You loved him," said Mr Black simply. "You loved him as much as he loved you. And he loved you so much that this love overwhelmed him, scared him. He considered you as a son he never had a chance to have and that scared him because he thought that by thinking it he was insulting your father's memory. That's why he tried to treat you like James. The older you got the more like him you were turning out to be and he didn't wanted you to be like him. He filled out the Warrant even if he knew that because of the Dursley's protection and his status as convict nothing could be done but he considered you as the closest thing he had for a son. James didn't really mind it, but to Sirius, you signing up the Warrant meant a world."

"I miss him," Harry whispered and closed his eyes, feeling a lone tear escaping. "I wish he hadn't died."

He felt that he was enveloped by strong pair of arms and he clung to the man like he was the last thing in the world which kept him from falling apart.

"He didn't die Harry," said Mr Black. "He still lives," he whispered. "He still lives in your heart."

* * *

**Awaiting criticism - like always. I'm replying as long as you leave me your email or you log in while reviewing. Bring my ego down ;)**

_Ah, my favourite nuisance. Did you guessed what triggered his visit? He is going to play bigger role in next chapter. And there is something tricky about Blood Adoption but you are going to wait a bit to get whole explanation from nuisance number two (in chapter six). The Horcruxes - people who are reading The Son of a Black might as well get a head start on the next chapter (which I'm going to write after I will find a job - consider this story as a break from TSoB). Keep an eye on Animagi since the outcome of it is going to hurt like hell. It seems that Harry is hardly working, but that's his luck._

**Next chapter:** Harry talks about the past with his friends, mostly old and one new. Neville brings gossip to Grimmauld. Hermione and Harry are planning Harry's birthday party. Somewhere in between Harry masters animagi and in the park meets someone interesting from his past. Later he forgets Moody's 'Constant Vigilance!' and it hurts like hell. Later we learn the importance of shoes.


	5. Chapter 5: Dead Man's Shoes

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or anything what you can recognize from the books. I do however own the plot of this story but I don't have profits because of it unless you count improving my English as a profit.

**Preview:** Harry talks about the past with his friends, mostly old and one new. Neville brings gossip to Grimmauld. Hermione and Harry are planning Harry's birthday party. Somewhere in between Harry masters animagi and in the park meets someone interesting from his past. Later he forgets Moody's 'Constant Vigilance!' and it hurts like hell. At the end we learn the importance of shoes (which are going to be very important in the future).

**So** **_read, enjoy and review (because I love to read your criticism and as long as you are logged in or I have your email I'm answering to your questions)._**

_Thanks to my beta MyUsedRomance who put up with my grammar and offered to beta read this story._

* * *

**Chapter five: Dead Man's Shoes.**

He woke up to someone shaking his arm. He blinked furiously trying to clear his eyes and saw that it was Hermione who was shaking him. Behind her was standing concerned Houseboard, terrified Luna and worried Neville who was holding Teddy in his arms.

"What had happened?" he mumbled.

"You tell me," Hermione said tearfully. "We couldn't wake you up for last two hours. You were mumbling Sirius's name and crying."

Everything was coming back to him. The dream itself, the memory which Mr Black had showed him, the way he broke down in the man's arms. He cried his hearth out over Sirius, over his parents, over Lupin and Tonks, over Andromeda and Ted, over Fred, over everyone who died and over everything which had happened since he could remember. He cried until tears didn't come and he collapsed from sheer exhaustion while still being held by Mr Black.

"I'm fine," he said quietly. "Seriously. I was going through a mental break down but I'm fine now."

"You were going through a mental break down while you were sleeping?" Neville asked, he sounded shocked and the looks on the faces of the others told him that they were equally shocked.

"You were having that dream again," Hermione said, it was a statement, not a question. "This one you told me after my parents were killed. The one with Sirius."

"Sirius wasn't there," Harry corrected her quickly and immediately regretted saying it, but judging by the look she gave him he could as well explain it. "His father was there though. He showed me something which firstly shook me to the core and then reduced me into sobbing mess. He stayed there until you woke me up."

"Last time I checked Orion Black was properly dead. He had been dead for twenty years in fact," said Houseboard sceptically.

"I know that he is dead," Harry huffed. "I wouldn't get that dream if he wasn't. Seriously I'm fine. Can't a guy get an emotional break-down from time to time?"

"You are seeing dead people in your dreams?" Neville asked quietly.

"Sometimes," Harry answered quickly. "They come, talk and then leave me in peace."

"You died," Hermione whispered. "And then you came back. When you killed Bellatrix you changed and the same night you got that dream. Because of it you can talk to them."

"That's interesting," Houseboard muttered. "Do they come all or just few of them?" he asked curiously.

"Just one or two at time. Earlier this week there were three of them. And no it doesn't happens every time I fall asleep, just from time to time if that's the thing you are going to ask next," Harry answered.

"Whom did you see?" asked Houseboard quickly.

"Sirius at first. Then mum. After I got the concussion I saw both of them plus dad. Today, I saw Mr Black," Harry answered truthfully.

"What did you talk to them about? Present or past?" Houseboard continued asking.

"They always talk about the present. Mr Black talked about the past," Harry answered.

"Do you know why you are seeing them in your dreams?" Houseboard asked as he sat down on the couch opposite to Harry and the others followed him.

"No," Harry said then he remembered what Sirius told him and said, "Actually yes. Sirius told me that I died and reached their world. Plus I suspect killing Bellatrix made me emotionally unstable, enough to make me ... unconsciously seek someone who could tell me ... who could justify my actions and tell me that I wasn't a murderer. I don't know why after her and not Voldemort. I can't rationally explain it."

The room fell silent after that and it seemed that an hour had passed before Houseboard said, "You knew that you had to kill him. Voldemort. You were prepared to kill him. With Bellatrix it was different. You killed her in a spur of moment, it wasn't something you exactly planned or were prepared for."

"It doesn't make her less dead than Voldemort because of it," Harry muttered.

"No it does not. But you came in terms with the fact that you had to kill Voldemort. You didn't planned to kill Bellatrix when you got there," Houseboard agreed.

"You changed in that moment," Hermione reminded him quietly. "You changed into Sirius. Then and both times when Ginny and Ron pissed you off. I was there, I saw it."

"I remember changing first time around, I don't remember the other," Harry muttered.

"But it doesn't make it any less real," Hermione huffed.

"I know," Harry sighed.

"What did Orion show you that made you have a breakdown?" asked Houseboard pensively.

Harry didn't answer. Horcruxes were very dangerous subject to talk about. Hermione knew. So did Ron. But did he trusted Neville, Luna and Houseboard enough to share what he recently found out and be sure that neither of them would share this knowledge with someone else?

"I want you to swear on Unbreakable Vow that what I'm going to tell you now won't leave this room. You won't pass any of my words in any shape or form to anyone unless I allow you and I won't allow you to do it," he said finally, his voice barely above the level of a whisper.

They were silent for a moment and then Hermione said quietly, "I will do it Harry."

"So will I," added Housboard.

"I trust you, so will I," Neville whispered.

"Me too," added Luna quietly.

"Good," Harry muttered and took a closer look at each of them.

Their faces were sincere, they all seemed a bit scared but their intentions seemed to be sincere. Hermione looked very worried, Houseboard curious, Neville calm and Luna still a bit dreamy.

"Do any of you know what a Horcrux is?" he asked finally.

"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed while the others shook their heads.

"I know what I'm doing Hermione, trust me," he gave her a small smile. "The term 'Horcrux' is used to refer to any object in which a person has concealed a part of his or her soul. Usually it's an inanimate object, but not always. The purpose of a Horcrux is to protect the given bit of soul from anything that might happen to the body of the person to whom the soul belongs. While the Horcrux is kept safe, the person will continue to exist even if his or her body is damaged or destroyed."

"Voldemort," whispered Houseboard grimly. "That's how he survived, he created a Horcrux."

"He didn't," Harry shook his head. "He didn't creat just one Horcrux. He made seven of them," at that Houseboard, Neville and Luna gasped. "His diary. Slytherin's Locket. Hufflepuff's Cup. Ravenclaw's Diadem. The Gaunt's Ring. His snake, Nagini. And me."

At the last word Hermione gasped, he never told her what transpired in the forest. He never told it to anyone. She had every right to be shocked.

"Don't be worried, my friends," Harry said with a small smile. "He is really dead this time. All of his Horcruxes are gone, destroyed. Nothing but a memory."

"You are alive," Neville pointed out quietly.

"Yes, I'm alive," Harry agreed. "But the Horcrux part in me is gone. Voldemort destroyed it himself. I think that he wasn't even aware that he made me his seventh Horcrux. That part of soul which was in me died in the same moment the Killing Curse reached me. That's why I didn't die."

"Because the Killing Curse killed the Voldemort's soul," Hermione whispered. "It didn't kill you."

"Technically no," Harry shook his head. "He killed me. But I got offered a chance to come back and finish the task which was appointed to me. So I did."

"But it's not Voldemort's Horcruxes you wanted to talk about. It's something else," said Houseboard quietly.

"Yes," Harry nodded. "Mr Black, Orion showed me the person who invented, who created the first Horcrux ever."

"Who it was?" asked Hermione quietly.

"His name was Sirius Orion Black. He lived in seventeenth century, before The Great Fire of London," Harry answered quietly.

"Why?" asked Luna suddenly. "Why create such a dreadful thing? Why did the knowledge about it get passed?"

"He didn't intend for it to be known. It was supposed to be a onetime thing, onetime creation. Used only once and everything which concerned this subject to be destroyed," Harry muttered.

"But still why?" asked Neville.

Harry stood up from his armchair and started slowly walking in front of them as he continued his explanations, "He created the Horcrux to ensure that he won't die before he had a chance to destroy the Dark Lord Dunbarrow. His name was Titus Dunbarrow. He entrusted his friends with the notes about the Horcruxes to be destroyed as soon as Dunbarrow was dead and he intended to destroy his own Horcrux in the same moment Dunbarrow had died, and so he did. But he didn't know that his notes weren't destroyed."

"What had happened to them?" asked Houseboard grimly.

"One of his friends, Reginald Potter told the other, Janus Lupin, that he will destroy Sirius's notes. Except he didn't know that he wouldn't have a chance to do it. He took the notes to his house in Godric's Hallow, hid them there and he came back to London. He, his family and most of Sirius's family died in the fire. Janus Lupin miraculously survived only to find out that Sirius's notes weren't destroyed but stolen by a man called Fletcher and sold on the black market somewhere. That's how the information about Horcruxes continued existing. They were destroyed of course, at some point of time but not before some people gathered the information about them. That's how Voldemort the word about them," Harry said and with a heavy sigh sat down in his armchair.

"Sirius didn't mean them to be known," Hermione whispered.

"But that's what had happened," Harry muttered grimly. "It only proves one thing that the world isn't just black or white. There are so many shades of grey in it. Something which was intended to be a downfall of one Dark Lord gave the other his power."

"Just like Killing Curse," muttered Houseboard.

"Excuse me?" Harry mumbled.

"The Killing Curse," said Houseboard as he leaned against the back of the couch and continued explaining, "was invented by Italian Healers in sixteenth century. Original intention of the creating it was letting people who were deathly wounded pass away without the pain. Just a quick spell, a puff and you didn't suffered anymore before you died. The Healing wasn't as good as it is now so for a lot of people it was a salvation. It saved them from hours, sometimes days and even weeks of agony. It only proves a point that everything in this world has double standards and what really makes things evil is intention of the one who uses them against someone else."

"How did you find this out?" asked Hermione curiously.

"I'm a Ravenclaw, I read, a lot," Houseboard sighed. "And the fact that for some time I used to work in the same department I work now in Italian Ministry of Magic helped a bit. You would love Ministry of Magic Library in Rome, Hermione. It's huge and one life is not enough to read all the books which are there."

"That's interesting," Harry muttered. "Do you happen to know the origins of other Unforgivables?"

"I do," Houseboard nodded. "Imperious Curse was invented by French Healers which used it to try to get paralysed people to start walking again. Same with the Cruciatus, except it was invented by Germans, to test it on paralysed patients if they lost their ability to feel pain," he sighed heavily. "What makes Dark Magic Dark is people who use it and their intentions, not the spells themselves. People forgot with passing time that even a Tickling Charm can be deadly if it's overpowered."

"You just destroyed my faith in magic," Neville muttered grimly.

"I'm suggesting getting it back quickly if what you told me is true," Houseboard chuckled.

"What do you mean?" asked Harry curiously.

Neville blushed a bit before he mumbled, "Professor, I mean Headmistress McGonagall, contacted me few days ago. Professor Sprout is retiring next year, for good, and she suggested me as her replacement. I'm starting in September as an associated professor; I'm going to teach first, second and third years straight. Till December I'm sitting at Herbology lessons with older years too and helping supervise their homework and tests. From January professor Sprout will start letting me slowly take over the older years and by end of the school year I will made a regular professor, as well as Head of Gryffindor House."

"That's wonderful news Neville," Harry smiled.

"A bit overwhelming," Neville mumbled. "Imagine me as a Head of the House? I mean with some of this people I went to school."

"You will do splendidly Neville," Hermione assured him.

"I hope so," Neville sighed.

"So it's McGonagall's last year being the Head of Gryffindor House," Houseboard said pensively.

"Actually this was her last one. She will start breaking me into Head of the House stuff from September; I will be associated Head of the House for this year and since the next one I will be on my own," Neville explained.

"That's a great honour," said Houseboard.

"It's scary," Neville admitted. "But at least I won't have to work in apothecary. It was a wonder that I got this one."

"Let's celebrate it," Harry said cheerfully. "I think that I have some Firewhiskey hidden somewhere."

"You aren't drinking!" Hermione snapped at him. "Last time I checked your potions were getting nasty after mixing with alcohol."

"I know," Harry smiled at her obvious indignation. "You lot will be drinking it, I will be sipping my pumpkin juice like a good boy I am. Let's go to the kitchen."

"What about the Unbreakable Vow?" asked Houseboard suddenly.

"I trust you. All of you and I trust you to don't abuse my trust and keep what I told you to yourselves," Harry admitted sheepishly.

"I feel honoured that you bestowed your trust upon me even if you don't really know me," said Houseboard with a small nod.

"I don't really know you, but I like what I know about you Houseboard," said Harry.

"If that's so I'm drinking Bruderschaft with you before the midnight, Potter or should I rather say, Black," Houseboard said with a small smile.

They went to the kitchen where a very huffy Kreacher was overseeing the dinner. Harry suspected that old House-elf's indignation had more to do with the fact that he had to wait for them with the dinner and not with the guests.

As promised first thing they did after they sat down was toasting to Neville's new job. The second round was toasted to Harry's promotion after which as promised Harry and Houseboard had a Bruderschaft, Harry with pumpkin juice and Houseboard with third goblet of Firewhiskey.

"Harry," Harry said laughing slightly after he downed the contest of his goblet.

"Gregory," Houseboard said and gave him one armed hug. "Greg for friends."

After Bruderschaft they dug into Kreacher's onion soup and till the second course kept eating in relative, but not uncomfortable silence which got cracked with few jokes from Houseboard and Neville.

They finished roasted beef and baked potatoes and moved to desert, Hermione's strawberry casserole with whipped cream when they reassumed talking. This time about everyday life.

"So how have things been since I got knocked out, Greg?" Harry asked curiously, still feeling a bit unfamiliar with using Houseboard's name.

"A bit rough," Houseboard admitted after he swallowed a bit of casserole. "McMillan is still searching for Miss Weasley and still failing as far as I know. Young Mr Weasley got his trial in front of Wizengamot, they made him pay five hundred gallons for charity cause and Daily Prophet ..." he glanced at Neville and Luna.

"Is having a field day with everything," said Neville grimly after he took a sip of his Firewhiskey.

"Why?" Hermione asked surprised.

"Have you been out since Ernie brought Harry here Hermione?" Neville asked.

"No I haven't," she admitted. "Kreacher was picking up Harry's potion from apothecary. It's not like I could leave Harry and Teddy on their own."

"You haven't read the Daily Prophet either, have you?" asked Luna.

They shook their heads.

"A word about Ginny's disappearance got into the Daily Prophet," said Luna.

"A word?" Neville snorted grimly. "Try interviews with all of them Luna. Anyway the Daily Prophet took their fears seriously and made them seem truth for general audience. It seems that you kicked out a pregnant Ginny with your child. On the top of that you made Hermione break down the engagement with Ron because you had your eyes on her yourself. As for Hermione, she resigned from her position in Houseboard's Office because she is pregnant with your child and you intend to live happily ever after, not bothered at all that you destroyed the lives of your former best friends. End of story," he muttered and took a gulp of his Firewhiskey.

"That's outrageous," Hermione said angrily.

"That's Mrs Wealsey speaking, her words outstretched by Rita Skeeter. Apparently Mrs Weasley thought that you wouldn't give Hermione full access to your vaults without a very good reason," Neville said grimly.

"I gave Hermione full access to my vaults because Ron was a jerk and got her fired without asking her for her opinion first, that's a very good reason," Harry huffed angrily.

"Still it doesn't changes the fact that she thinks that you and Hermione are having a not so secret affair anymore and the fruit of it is going to appear in the world sometime between the end of winter and beginning of spring," Houseboard cut in.

"What are we going to do about it, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"If you are asking for my advice, I suggest nothing. Don't do or say anything about this subject," said Houseboard quickly.

"Are you telling us to just wait," Hermione asked with a huff.

"Yep," Houseboard nodded. "You are starting Auror training in September, so is Harry. Public opinion is going to watch your every step, imagine their disappointment when your-oh-so-awaited lovechild doesn't arrive to the world."

"Still, I can charge Rita as Unregistered Animagus," Harry muttered. "She forgot that I'm the one with the power here and I can make her professional life a living hell."

"You better do," Hermione muttered grimly.

"Enough of this sad faces," Houseboard said cheerfully. "We are here to celebrate, not worry about bitchy reporter of half-truths."

"You said the bad word in front of a kid," Hermione huffed.

"Swear Jar?" asked Houseboard.

"In the corner. One sickle," Hermione said.

Houseboard glanced at the jar and snickered, "It's pretty empty."

"We are holding our tongues in check," Harry snickered.

* * *

After his check up at Sunday evening Penelope Clearwater allowed him to come back to work on 12th July and he was more than happy to do so. He brought Hermione's application for Auror training with himself and left it in Melvin's capable hands before he went to his cubicle and spent better part of the day at catching up with the old cases. The rest of the week looked pretty much similar and before he knew his birthday was just a week away.

"So who is going to get an invitation for your nineteenth birthday party?" asked Hermione when both of them finished doing the dishes after dinner on a Friday.

"Do I really need one?" Harry asked as he put the plates in the cupboard. "I mean, can't it be just you, me and Teddy?"

"The Weasleys may consider us as devils reincarnated but I'm sure that there are some people with whom you won't mind partying with. Neville, Luna, Houseboard. Maybe even Kingsley, your boss. You name them," she said thoughtfully.

"Hagrid," Harry said quickly. "Ernie maybe, Justin, and Terry. He seems nice chap. Penelope, she patched me up quite good. Maybe we can try to ask Fleur if she and Bill won't be having a problem with coming too. We can even try to invite McGonagall."

"Hannah Abott and Susan Bones. Patil twins, I heard that they are in England. Though if we invite them we should also invite Lavender. I think that I can survive one evening with her if you can," Hermione said with a shrug.

"Let's do it now Hermione," he said pensively. "So I can send them tomorrow on my way to Gringotts."

They spent the evening at writing the invitations for twenty guests in total. Few of them like Fleur's and Bill's and Terry and his girlfriend were meant for two people. Hermione even got carried away and after finishing writing the invitations she started preparing the menu for the party. Harry left her in library and let her continue muttering the possible courses while he put Teddy (who managed to fall asleep sometime when Harry and Hermione were writing invitations) to his crib.

After making sure that Teddy didn't wake up and continued sleeping soundly he went upstairs to Sirius room and reassumed his training.

He took his father's suggestion to heart and as soon as Penelope cleared him for good he started training Animagi transformation and in so far didn't managed to get stuck. He considered his attempts as pathetic because in so far he managed to drink the potion and after clearing his mind catch few glimpses of black, thick fur. Not much of a success, he told himself but after that reminded himself that it took Sirius and his dad three years to become Animagi.

He sat down on his bed and for another time in last few weeks cleared his mind. In the mist of his mind he once again caught a glimpse of thick black fur and chased it intending to catch the animal this time. He was chasing it so long and failing that he didn't even realised that he managed to fall asleep.

* * *

He could truthfully admit that it was the smell which woke him up, the smell and Hermione's melodic voice calling his name. She smelt like dusty books, parchment and ink and something fruity, probably apples. The smell was very strong and was accompanied by another one, very canine like, wolfish probably.

The door opened in the same moment he raised his head to check his assumptions and he came face to face with shocked Hermione and Teddy whom was sitting like usual on her left hip. Upon seeing Harry, Teddy's face broke in a huge smile and the kid tried to wriggle his way out of Hermione's arms.

"Harry?" Hermione asked tentatively.

He meant to answer that yep it was him but instead of words from his mouth came two barks after which he quickly closed his mouth. He stood up on the bed and glanced at himself. He had paws, and a tail. His fur was black and very tick. Suddenly the finality of it hit him with a full force. He did it. He transformed. He was an Animagus.

"Doggy!" Teddy giggled.

He leapt from the bed on the floor and immediately was at Hermione's side. While she was still shocked she put Teddy on the floor. The boy wasted no time and quickly grabbed the hold on Harry's now furry neck and began petting him. On its own violation, Harry's tail started wagging like mad. He was so deliriously happy that he wanted to change back and dance around the room with Teddy in his arms.

He was a bit surprised when he felt himself changing back again to his human form but not surprised enough to not pick Teddy up and produce a mad dance around the room with a laughing kid in his arms.

"Do you like your new doggie?" he asked as he threw Teddy a few inches higher in the air and immediately caught him.

He didn't have to ask the kid if he liked it. The delight on Teddy's face was evident. He threw him up and down in the air few times before he hugged him tightly and felt that he was enveloped in Hermione's tight hug.

"You did it," she said proudly. "You became an Animagus."

"Now I know what dad had in mind when he suggested Animagi training," Harry admitted as he moved his free arm so he could gave Hermione an one armed hug. "You know what? I think that we should take our dog for a walk after breakfast. What do you think about it Hermione?"

"I think it's good idea Harry. As long as Padfoot will be on a leash till we get there," she said with a smile.

"Why Padfoot?" he asked as he pulled away from her.

"I don't know. It fits you," she said. "Plus I don't think that Sirius would have a problem with it."

"I think that he would," Harry grinned. "But I think that he has no power on that matter so Padfoot it is," he said and glared at the ceiling as if Sirius was watching him from above, and probably he did. "Heard that one Sirius?" he asked just in case.

As if in response a bit of the plaster in the farthest corner of the room fell of the ceiling and hit the floor with a thud.

"Love you too," Harry muttered and made Hermione giggle.

They consumed their breakfast quickly and left the house. They decided to go to Regent's Park since it was big, had a playground for kids and a lot of free space so Padfoot could run around without a leash. But, till they reached the gates they made a quite normal – not at all indicating that they were a wizard and a witch – picture of young mother with a kid and a dog on a walk.

Harry tried his best to not tug on the leash and was walking along with Teddy's pram, with Hermione holding the leash as she was pushing the pram. After they went through the gates they immediately went in the direction of the playground so Teddy could play before they let Harry go from the leash and explore how fast he could run in this form.

Hermione parked the pram next to the free set of swings, picked up Teddy and sat him down on the one of the swings. She turned around and for a moment stared at Harry in his animagi form before she took the leash off. Harry was happy that the leash was gone but a bit annoyed at Hermione because she left the collar on.

To show his half-hearted indignation he growled at her albeit not very loud. She snickered and patted his head before she started pushing Teddy's swing, gently at first but when Teddy seemed to like it she started pushing it more forcefully.

When Hermione was busy with Teddy Harry decided that no matter how funny being a dog was with all the stuff which came with more sensitive hearing and very good sense of smell, it had a mayor downfall. Thick, black fur in the sunlight, on a quite warm morning with noon slowly approaching was definitely not the funniest thing in the world.

After hiding behind the pram which provided not very much of a shadow he spied a bench about ten feet away from Hermione. Under the bench, there was some shade, enough for him to hide and not die from overheat. He quickly padded his way there and curled in a tight ball.

'Much better,' he thought to himself and closed his eyes in content.

He didn't even realise that he drifted off to sleep.

Once again it was a smell which woke him up. But this time it wasn't Hermione's distinct smell, or even Teddy's canine one. Still the scent of sweaty jeans was something the dog recognised. He cracked one eye open and saw that the free swing next to Teddy's wasn't free anymore. It was occupied by a kid about same age as Teddy and next to it, with a pram behind was standing a very familiar figure.

He stood up not remembering that he was under the bench and hit his head hard. He resisted a growl and got out from under the bench. He cocked his head to the right wracking his mind why in the name of Merlin's lousy underwear Dudley was doing here and why he had a kid with him.

"Excuse me miss," Dudley said in the meantime while Harry was wracking his mind over his cousin's presence in Regent's Park of all places. "Do you happen to have a free pack of tissues? Mine just ran off."

"Of course," Hermione said and turned to face him.

For Harry it was quite funny to watch them staring at each other in mutual shock.

"You are Harry's cousin," said Hermione finally.

"You are Harry's friend," Dudley said at the same time.

Changing back to his human form seemed good idea so he quickly checked if someone was looking in their direction. Thankfully for him the people who were the closest to them had their backs turned so he quickly transformed back stretching out as he did so.

"I hope that you aren't hitting on her, Dudley," he snickered.

"Maybe you should just piss on me to mark your territory," Hermione muttered.

"Got you," Harry grinned. "You said bad word."

"My sickles ran off. You mentioned going to Gringotts sometime today," she muttered.

Dudley in the meantime looked from Harry to Hermione then back to Harry and then at Teddy who was still swinging.

"Your son?" he pointed at Teddy.

"Nope," Harry grinned and went to the pram to pick a pack of tissues for Dudley. "My godson. He is living with me since his grandmother died. Babysitting?" he motioned at the kid on the other swing.

"No," Dudley shook his head as he accepted the pack of tissues from Harry. "Duncan is my kid. He is fourteen months old. How old is yours?"

"Fifteen months old," Hermione answered as she reassumed pushing Teddy's swing.

"How did your parents take it?" Harry asked curiously.

"Not very good," Dudley muttered. "Dad kept throwing sneak comments how Daisy probably cheated on me and it wasn't my kid but I knew better. Then, there was the china incident and they kicked the three of us out. Haven't seen them ever since."

"China incident?" Hermione echoed.

"Aunt Marge was visiting when he was three months old. Mum made a show of showing him to her. He started crying and suddenly mum's china set exploded into tiny pieces," Dudley sighed.

"It exploded just like that?" Harry asked curiously.

Dudley nodded and said, "I suggested, delicately, when Aunt Marge went to take care of her bruises in the bathroom that Duncan might be magical. Dad wanted to kick him and Daisy out and I told him that if they were leaving then I would be leaving as well. They didn't stop me from packing. We moved to Islington, I got the job as a janitor in nearby nursery and kindergarten and I could say that we lived happily ever after."

"What had happened?" Hermione asked concerned.

"Daisy was shoot during a robbery in grocery shop. Died because the severity of the wounds. That was day before Duncan's first birthday," Dudley sighed heavily. "Since then I'm trying my best to deal with working and taking care of him. Thankfully my boss allowed me to enrol Duncan into the nursery."

"I'm sorry," Harry whispered and he meant it. He at least had Hermione to help him with Teddy when Dudley had no one.

"I'm not whiny," Dudley said as he pushed the swing with his kid. "It's hard but I'm managing. The ends meet quite well and I even managed to put away some money for the future. How about you?"

"I live in London too, somewhere between Camden Town and Islington, in my godfather's house. I work as wizard equivalent of a policeman," he said with a shrug.

"You?" Dudley nodded at Hermione.

"My boyfriend got me fired from my job. Till September I'm enjoying my unemployment while taking care of Harry's godson when Harry is at work. In September I'm joining Harry in his job and Teddy is going to nursery," Hermione answered and she pushed Teddy's swing.

"Are you living together?" Dudley asked curiously.

"I lived on my own for a while. Till my parents had died and the apartment I was lending got ruined. I put the house on sale and I'm staying with Harry. Easier for me to take care of Teddy this way," she said with a shrug.

"Plus as a policeman, I sometimes get night shifts. I feel better when she is with Teddy," Harry added.

"How are things in your world?" Dudley asked curiously.

"The war is over now, in fact has been for a round a year," Harry said.

"Voldemort is dead for good," Hermione added.

"And things would be just wonderful if some people stopped being j..." Harry stopped himself just in time to not say jerks and quickly looked for equivalent word. "Pain in the behind."

Hermione giggled at that and said, "If you are thinking about getting away with it, you are so very wrong."

"Hey," he grunted. "I censored my language."

"But you nearly said it," Hermione pointed out.

"I said the first letter," Harry muttered.

"But you still started saying it," she replied.

"You two are fighting like an old married couple," Dudley stated calmly. "Are you sure that you aren't dating?"

"Unbeknownst to both of us?" Harry turned to him.

"Last time I checked the Nile was a river in Egypt," Dudley snickered.

"That's old," Hermione muttered.

"But still actual," Dudley pointed out.

"You know what?" she said. "I'm in mood for an ice-cream and I think the boys would like them too. How about you two?"

"I'm not saying no," Dudley mumbled.

"Neither am I," Harry agreed.

"Good because it's your wallet I'm using," Hermione said and turned to face Harry.

"Women," Harry rolled his eyes. "Give them a finger and they will cut out whole hand."

"That my dear Harry would be press," she said and she picked up Teddy from the swing.

"Doggy!" Teddy exclaimed when he found himself in Hermione's arms.

"I want double chocolate and vanilla thing and if your hand even twitches in the direction of the leash I swear on my wand that I'm going to bite you," he gave her a glare and handed her his wallet before he went in the direction on the nearby bushes.

By the time he came back to them in his animagi form Teddy and Duncan were in their respective prams. Hermione pulled out his leash and Harry in response opened his snout and bared his teeth. At that Hermione rolled her eyes and started pushing Teddy's pram in the direction of the alley.

"Nice," Dudley snickered. "You are trained, aren't you?" he asked as he started pushing Duncan's pram after Hermione.

Harry rolled his eyes and followed both of them to the alley where he positioned himself between two prams and two curious toddlers who kept craning their necks to look at him.

"You are so doomed," Hermione snickered.

Their way to ice-cream shop was a calm one, unless one could call an incident a stray dog trying to smell Harry's crotch. After baring his teeth and extracting a growl worth Snape from his throat Harry was happy to see the offender retreating quickly with his tail hidden between his legs.

"I would be careful if I were you. Do this again and you may earn a night in a hovel," Dudley snorted as he watched the retreating dog.

"We don't have one," Hermione said with faked sigh. "Yet," she added after a second and snickered at the look of pure indignation on Harry's muzzle.

When they reached the ice-cream shop Harry disappeared behind it and came back from the other side this time in his human form. In the meantime Hermione and the boys settled down at one of the tables while Dudley went to Harry and together they ordered three double chocolate and vanilla ice creams for the three of them and two strawberry sorbets for Teddy and Duncan.

"You are registering, aren't you?" Hermione asked suddenly.

"I'm waiting with it till after my birthday," Harry said after he felt that the ice-cream he took in his mouth melted and he swallowed it. "Speaking of," he turned to Dudley. "What are you doing next Saturday?"

"What I generally do during the weekend," Dudley answered. "Sleep a bit longer than usual. Eat unhealthy breakfast while watching cartoons with Duncan. Go to the park. Eat unhealthy lunch on the way back. Spent the rest of the day at playing with Duncan. The usual."

"Would you mind coming to my birthday party?" Harry asked.

"Your friends would be there," Dudley said as he shook his head. "My presence there could be problematic. But you know what? I invite both of you to have a dinner with me at my place, consider it small after-birthday party."

They agreed and after exchanging their mutual addresses and Dudley's phone number which only made Hermione point him out that he really needed to hook up the phone as well. Harry together with Dudley, Teddy, and Duncan played retrieving while Hermione kept minding two prams and two half-melted goblets of ice-creams.

It was the hunger which chased them down from the park. Both Harry and Dudley, with Teddy and Duncan riding on their shoulders, were walking next to Hermione who kept pushing two empty prams tied together by Harry's leash. To any outside observatory they seemed a normal family on a walk even if said observation would be a problem with the presence of a leash but lack of a dog.

"If Duncan starts to whine for a dog I'm holding you responsible," Dudley said with a small smile when they reached the crossing from which their ways home went separately.

Hermione untied Dudley's pram as Harry put Teddy in his own. He signalled to Hermione to give him a moment and went in the direction of the seven eleven on the other side of the street. He made two steps in the direction of it when he realised that something was very, very wrong. He didn't have time to think what it was because suddenly the only thing he felt was excruciating pain, so intense that everything around him fell black.

He felt like he was hovering in the air, the action which didn't seem uncomfortable at all although he would feel happier if he could put his feet on something solid. He graciously enveloped once again in pitch blackness which once again fell around him.

He woke up in a bed. The mattress was one of the most comfortable ones he ever had been sleeping. The covers which gathered around him kept him warm. He was enveloped by a scent of coconut. He felt great, glorious in fact and he really didn't want to wake up.

"Do we have to go to work Mimi?" he mumbled as he snuggled against his companion.

It was that exact moment when he realised that he wasn't alone in bed but there was a female he really didn't know in the bed with him.

The female in his arms turned around so she was facing him. She had long and curly jet-black hair and a pair of the most beautiful violet eyes he ever seen. Her motion made him realise another thing, both of them were very naked.

Something inside him jolted violently and suddenly instead of the bed he was on the floor in a very unfamiliar room. He quickly stood up and saw that he wasn't alone. The bed still was there, so were its occupants, the black-haired woman and a man who looked suspiciously like young Sirius.

"I tell you what Sior," she said playfully. "I will leave first and on my way to the Ministry I will buy us doughnuts and these wonderful caramel-vanilla coffees in that coffee-shop around the corner."

"As tempting as your offer is I rather stay here with you," Sirius murmured wolfishly.

"And as tempting as your offer is we have a very hard investigation ahead so I will rather finish it today and have all weekend free. Just. For. Us," each word was punctuated by a kiss.

"A hard bargain," Sirius murmured.

"I can think of other hard things," she said playfully.

Sirius chuckled, "That was a blow below the belt Mirzam, seriously."

He felt like an intruder and he turned around and tried to leave the room but his hand went through the doorknob like he was a ghost.

"I will leave you now to rot in bed some more while I will take a shower," he heard her saying.

"I won't be rotting Mimi. I've got a report for Melvin to finish before I go so I actually will move my lazy bum to the kitchen where I will make you this apple flavoured tea you like so much," this came from Sirius.

"If you are going to smoke open the window," her voice was distant and indicated that it was coming from the bathroom.

As soon as the sound of running shower had started to drift through the room Harry heard Sirius standing up and getting closer to him. Sirius walked through him, like he didn't see him at all, turned the doorknob and went into the kitchen which was behind the door.

Harry watched him clad only into a pyjama bottom and move around the kitchen picking up two big mugs, boiling the water, throwing the tea bags into the mugs. He set the teas on small kitchen table with two chairs before he busied himself with making toasts.

In the meantime, Sirius's... girlfriend (for the lack of better word to Harry's knowledge) came into the kitchen. She was already dressed in auror's robe, her long hair was drying on her backs.

"You are spoiling me," she said with a smile.

"Who else do I have to spoil?" Sirius asked playfully.

"I don't know," she said thoughtfully. "Maybe that cute little thing who sits at the secretary desk and keeps watching you with dreamy eyes."

"You mean Portia Brown?" Sirius asked jokingly. "She is creepy." Then at the daring look on woman's face he added, "Seriously."

"She has a mayor crush on you," she said as she sat down at the table.

"That's bad because I have a mayor crush on a girl who is able to kick my ass," Sirius grinned.

"Cute ass," the woman said playfully. "You know that girls used to rate you as 'The Sexiest Ass Howgarts Ever Had'?"

"Too bad that this ass was already taken," Sirius smiled.

"Seriously?" she asked playfully.

"Seriously," Sirius said wolfishly. "From the first day I met you I had a master plan which lead us to where we are now."

"So 'Hogwarts Biggest Man-whore' was just a part of your master plan which was supposed to woo me into your bed?" she asked daringly.

"It worked, didn't it?" Sirius grinned. "Not my fault that you had a thing for bad boys."

"Then explain to me how it took you eight years to woo me?" she flashed him a smile.

"Cause you were hard pressed," Sirius chuckled.

"No. That was the broom closet in St Mungo's," the woman snickered.

"You are so bad Mirzam," Sirius laughed.

"See we are so perfect for each other," she snickered.

"It will reduce James to tears," Sirius grinned.

"Speaking about the Potters, do you have your suspicions about this very important thing which they are supposed to share with us in the evening?" she asked curiously.

"I bet that we are going to hear that Jamsie finally did it," Sirius grinned. "Merlin. I already feel bad for the kid."

"Let's hope that the kid will get Lily's hair," she said jokingly.

"No, we will hear that the black haired are smashing. Not that I disagree with this statement. I say that our kid could be 'Hogwarts Biggest Heartbreaker' regardless the sex," Sirius snickered.

"Already making plans for Sirius junior?" she asked playfully.

"Now. Now. I know that you want it too," Sirius said wolfishly.

"I won't say no. But I would feel a lot better if the war was gone by the time we decide to reproduce," she smiled quickly.

"We may get very, very wrinkly by that time," Sirius sighed.

"Doesn't matter Sior. For me you will be as sexy with wrinkles and grey hair as you are now," she grinned at him.

"I knew that we were meant to be together for a reason," Sirius grinned.

They finished their teas and toasts before the woman left the place but not without giving Sirius a goodbye kiss which made Harry realise how lonely he was for the last year. Regardless of her childish attitude, Ginny still was someone who made him feel less lonely.

With the woman gone Sirius busied himself with clearing up the remains of the breakfast and writing the report. He was about to gather his things and go to work when there was a knock on the door. Sirius sighed heavily before he went to answer the door.

Harry, and not only him judging by the look of total shock on Sirius's face, was surprised to find Mr Black on the other side of the door.

"I need your help Sirius," the man said unceremoniously. "Regulus vanished."

"What?" Sirius breathed out.

"Vanished. Missing. Gone. Kidnapped," the man said, his voice was breaking. "He wasn't in his room. His things were intact. No trace of a fight but he is gone. Still."

"Maybe he sneaked out," Sirius suggested.

"Come on, Sirius, it's Regulus we are talking about; he even asked permission every time he went to the toilet," Mr Black exclaimed.

"How long has he been gone?" Sirius asked, Harry observed that he was already in the auror mode.

"No longer than few hours. He ate dinner with us. He looked troubled. Disturbed. Your mother and I kept asking him what was wrong but he told us nothing," Mr Black sighed heavily.

"It hasn't been twenty-four hours, yet," Sirius said quietly. "I can't report that someone is missing before twenty-four hours of their disappearance."

"You are his brother!" Mr Black exclaimed.

"And an Auror," Sirius quickly added. "Listen. Maybe he just went somewhere and he will come back some time later today. Hell, maybe he already did, dad," he sighed. "If he isn't back by tomorrow morning I'm going to look for him personally."

"You will do it?" Mr Black asked, a trace of hope evident in his voice.

"Even if I have to beg for it," Sirius said.

"Thank you," Mr Black whispered. "I'll go now. You don't want to get late to work, do you?"

Sirius shook his head and said, "I promise dad. Keep in touch if anything changes. You know where to find me."

"I do," Mr Black said quietly and he left.

Sirius grabbed his jacket and went behind him. He followed him to the nearest crossing where their ways had separated and Harry recognised the way as the one leading to the Ministry of Magic. They were coming around the corner where the coffee-shop was situated when they saw a gathering and someone whom Harry didn't expected to be there. Melvin. He was dressed as a muggle policeman and was trying to herd the bystanders so they weren't interrupting.

Upon seeing it Sirius ran to the man.

"Melvin!" he yelled to get the man's attention. "What happened?"

Melvin glanced at Sirius and for a moment something akin to pity flashed through his face.

"There was an attack Black," he said finally, his voice grave. "Two of ours had been taken."

Harry saw the evident panic on Sirius face as he breathed out, "Who? Who did they take?"

"Portia Brown," Melvin whispered. "And Mirzam Verascez."

Sirius's face drained from all blood.

"Shacklebolt saw them being taken. He got there too late to do anything," Melvin's voice was barely above the level of whisper.

"I want to be a part of investigation," Sirius said quickly. "She was my partner."

"That's why you won't be a part of investigation, Black. You are too emotionally attached to be a part of it," Melvin said sternly.

The scene shifted suddenly and Harry found himself in too familiar cubicle. Judging by the distance to the secretary desk it was his own cubicle. He turned around and saw that he wasn't alone.

Sirius was sitting at his desk, Harry's later desk. He had his face hidden in his hands, hair loose. He looked terrible, like a man who just realised that he lost everything.

"Melvin Prewett asking for reinforcement," the voice had called and it seemed to snap Sirius out from his state.

"Auror Black reporting as a reinforcement!" he called, his voice rasp as he stood up and left the cubicle.

"Cardogan Street, the back alley between number 12 and 13," said an old lady at the desk.

The scene shifted again and both he and Sirius appeared in a phone box close to number 8. Sirius quickly left the phone box and ran in the direction of numbers 12 and 13.

Melvin was already there, his face grave.

"You shouldn't have come here, Black," he said quietly.

Sirius grasped the man by the arms and breathed out, "Why?"

As in response to his question two aurors left the back alley, they were holding a stretcher covered by a white sheet. Sirius immediately let go of Melvin and ran to them. He grasped the sheet with shaky hand and pulled it down. Harry recognised the face, it was Sirius's girlfriend.

"Can I take her to the autopsy?" Sirius asked, his voice stoic.

"If you think that you can handle it, Black," Melvin answered gravely.

"I can," Sirius whispered.

Once again the scene had shifted and they were walking along the corridor to the autopsy room at St Mungo. Sirius looking like he just had been hit below the belt, very, very hard. Harry trailing a step behind him. The stretcher with the body was levitated by Sirius's side.

"I won't say that I'm happy to see you here, Black," said the small bald man at the examination room. "Bring the body in. I will join you in a second."

Sirius put the body with utmost care on the table and pulled the sheet down completely.

"Who do we have here today?" asked the man.

"Mirzam Verascez, aged nineteen, going twenty in two months. Auror," Sirius said blankly and he picked up the parchment and quick quoting quill which lay on the table.

"Let's start," said the man.

He went around the body two times before he slowly and delicately cut out the robe. Upon seeing what beneath it Harry gasped. The stomach was cut open and the insides were out. He glanced at Sirius. He was pale and looked like he was about to throw up.

The man glanced at the stomach before he gently opened the woman's legs and pointed his wand at her crotch. The tip of the wand turned violet in colour.

"Oh dear," he sighed. "Poor thing."

Sirius swallowed audibly.

"She was raped," said the man.

Sirius put the parchment on the table and gripped on the table, his knuckles immediately started paling. The man paid no attention to Sirius but once again went for the stomach. He stared at it before he said quietly, "She was pregnant. Seventh week."

The blood drained from Sirius's face and his grip on the table tightened.

"Can you recognise the sex of the baby?" Sirius asked and in Harry's ears it sounded like Sirius's voice was coming from very far.

The man pointed his wand at the bloodied mess of woman's insides. The tip glowed faintly blue.

"A boy," Sirius whispered weakly.

"Traces of Cruciatus Curse," said the man. "And a spell I don't know. It cut her open. Cause of death, blood loose. I don't see anything else."

"Not a single thing?" Sirius asked weakly.

"No. I will close her and clear her before I will transport her to morgue," said the man. "You can go now, Black."

Sirius nodded, grabbed the parchment and left the room. He was walking around the corridor as if in haze. Harry hurried behind him. His mind was spinning. It was too much information to proceed. Things he didn't know, things he wasn't sure he wanted to know. Things Sirius never told him about.

"Walk with me Harry," he heard from the behind suddenly.

He stopped walking and turned around to face the owner of the voice. It was Mr Black, again. He gave Harry small smile and waved his hand in the opposite direction of the one which Harry was walking before Mr Black called him.

"I want to show you something else," he said when Harry didn't move.

"Something else?" Harry asked as he made a first step in the direction of the man.

"Something which you should see before you come back," the man said and slowly started walking in the direction he showed to Harry.

Harry sighed and quickly caught up with the man.

"Where are we going?" he asked when he did so.

"The human mind is one of the most complicated and magnificent things in the world," Mr Black said, clearly ignoring Harry's question. "It can bury deeply our biggest fears, our worst memories. These who were blessed with this possibility don't know how lucky they are. Originally the main purpose of inventing a Dementor was a way of curing amnesia, but something went wrong and instead of bringing back all memories, hopes and fears Dementors bring to the surface only our greatest fears and worst memories. A lifetime in top security cell in Azkaban guarded all day and all night by Dementors is the almost the worse punishment wizarding world ever came with," his voice was very grave.

"Sirius spent twelve years in Azkaban," Harry whispered.

"Reliving his worst memories and greatest fears. Second after second. Minute after minute. Hour after hour. Day after day. Week after week. Month after month. Year after year. A lesser man would lose his sanity within two years inside these walls. He lasted and ran away from that dreadful place. But he wouldn't have done it without one thing which springs eternal, the one thing which dies as last. Hope," Mr Black said sadly.

"He was innocent," Harry said quietly.

"His life was never-ending stream of catastrophes. One blow after another. That year in a span of a month he lost the girl he loved, his unborn child, his younger brother and his father. I know that neither Regulus nor I were on very good terms with him at that point but it still hurt him. For him it was a personal failure. It drove him nearly to the point of madness. For nearly eight months he worked as hard as he could. Shift after shift and then mission after mission ... till he was passing out from exhaustion and hunger. He was almost at the point of committing suicide. In fact he nearly did it," Mr Black sighed heavily.

"What stopped him?" Harry asked timidly.

"You," Mr Black said quickly. "That night you were born he was a step away from killing himself. Then James bragged in and hauled him all the way to St Mungo's. When they allowed him to hold you something inside him had changed. He still worked as hard as he could but he wasn't as reckless with his life as he used to be before you were born. He had something to hold upon, someone to live for, again."

"He died for me," Harry whispered.

"Wouldn't we all?" asked Mr Black sincerely. "Wouldn't we all die to protect our beloved ones?"

Harry didn't answer. He knew the answer. He nearly died to save people he loved and cared for.

"I don't want you to think that you are walking in his shoes," Mr Black said suddenly. "Yours and his life have certain similarities but where he met his failure you succeed. Look at Teddy and you. Sirius hadn't a chance to raise you but you are raising Teddy."

"Animagi?" Harry asked.

"That's a whole separate thing Harry. For an Animagus the animal isn't based on his or hers past but personality. A dog is a symbol of loyalty, friendship, courage, defense, vigilance, guard, intelligence, cunning, cleverness and curiosity. Traits you and Sirius happen to share. That's why your animagi form is a dog," Mr Black said briskly.

In the meantime as they talked the dark corridor started changing into a road in the country. Harry smiled slightly upon seeing the trees on both sides of the road and small country houses in the distance. Mr Black was right and a mind was really magnificent thing. Harry knew that he once again was lost in his own mind, if he wasn't he wouldn't see what he saw and he wouldn't be having a conversation with Mr Black.

"We are getting closer and our time is running out. Listen Harry," the man stopped for a moment and grasped Harry's arms. "I want you to know that the place we are going would be one of the most wonderful places you are going to see. You would want to remain here forever but can't. Not yet at least."

Harry nodded slowly.

"Good," Mr Black said and his voice sounded a bit relieved. "Let's move along."

They reassumed walking and the seemed far more closer than they should be Harry thought. They weren't running or taking long strides, just the normal one like these ones takes when going on a walk. That's why it seemed a bit irrational to him for the houses to be so close. In fact they started to appear on both sides of the road.

Suddenly Mr Black stopped walking and stood in front of one of the houses on their right and said, "That's the place we are going," he pointed at the house. "Come on. I want you to meet someone," he said and opened the gates to the garden and invited himself.

Harry followed him obediently and found himself in one of the most beautiful gardens he had ever seen. The grass was emerald green, neatly cut. On his left and right were bushes of white and red roses. Here and there was a patch of white and orange lilies and violet irises. But the most beautiful thing was huge magnolia tree in the corner of the garden covered with flowers, full and rich. Under the tree, at the table was sitting a woman with long, curly, jet-black hair she was dressed in white summer dress and laughing at something someone had said. Even from the distance Harry realised that there was something familiar about her, something vital, something important. Something like ... violet eyes.

"Is that her?" he whispered to Mr Black.

Mr Black turned to face him and nodded, "Yes. It's Mirzam ... and someone else. Don't be shy, they don't bite... hard anyway."

He took one tentative step, then another, this made him leave the shadow of the house and allowed him to see Mirzam's companion, or rather companions. One of them was beautiful boy with shoulder-length, curly, jet-black hair and violet eyes. The other one was Sirius. He looked younger; the happiest Harry had ever seen him. He picked the kid up and raised him in the air just like Harry used to pick Teddy and spun around with the kid in his arms. The air was filled with childish crackling laugh, Sirius's bark-like one, and Mirzam's melodic. In that moment, Harry was ready to sell his soul to the devil for a camera. This was the most perfect picture of happiness he had ever seen.

He wanted to say something but words couldn't leave his mouth, he opened them and closed once, then a second time, and he still couldn't say a thing.

He felt someone patting his right shoulder and a voice which probably belonged to Mr Black said, "You can torture Sadalsuud after we leave, Sirius."

That made all three occupants of the garden look in their direction. Mirzam's and the kid's face showed curiosity while Sirius's face seemed shocked. The shock seemed to pass in a second and Harry saw something he didn't expect to see on Sirius's face here, dread, no it wasn't dread, it was panic.

"What he is doing here, dad?" Sirius asked worriedly. "Don't think that I don't want to see you Harry. I want to, very much, but not now, and not in this place," he added quickly.

"What place?" Harry asked curiously.

"Afterlife," said Mirzam sincerely. "It's afterlife."

"That mean that you are..." Sirius started but he couldn't finish.

"He is not dead Sirius," said Mr Black and Harry immediately turned to face him. "Not yet at least. As for what happened," he turned to Sirius, "our dear Harry here was run by a bus. As we speak muggle doctors are trying to keep him alive."

"Bus?" Harry whispered and suddenly the memory of pain and blackness came back to him.

"That explains your presence here, dad," said Mirzam pensively.

"I just wanted to show him something," Mr Black shrugged and he turned back to Harry. "In the next few hours you will wish that you had died but you have to remember why you will come back."

"Why should I?" Harry whispered.

"Indeed why?" Mr Black asked and motioned his head in Sirius's direction, then back at Harry.

Suddenly Harry remembered why. Teddy, he was on the other side.

"Told you that he is smart," Mr Black chuckled, as if he knew about what Harry was thinking.

"I have to come back for Teddy," Harry whispered.

"Don't worry about us, Harry," said Mirzam with a small smile. "We aren't running anywhere."

Sirius put the kid on the ground and went to stand in front of Harry. He gave Harry small, sad smile and hugged him tightly before he said, while still holding Harry, "We will still be here when it will your time to join us, till then, you can always reach us in your dreams."

"I mastered Animagi," Harry whispered the first thing which came to his mind.

Sirius pulled away from him a bit so they could see each other faces and said with a smile, "I know. But, why Padfoot?"

"Hermione," Harry said as if it could explain everything. "I got promoted too. Trainer," he gave Sirius a smile.

"You are becoming too much like me, kiddo," Sirius sighed.

"Second cousin," Harry grinned. "Heavily influenced by his godfather."

"To your grandparents' utmost horror," Sirius grinned back. "Take care Harry, and don't you dare to come back here until you are as old as Dumbledore was. If you do I swear on Marauders Honour that I will find a way to kick your bum back to earth," he said seriously and hugged Harry tightly.

"I will try my best," Harry chuckled. "I promise."

"Good," Sirius pulled away and gave Harry a glare worth Snape. "I meant what I said."

"So did I," Harry grinned and then turned to Mirzam and said, "It was nice to meet you Mirzam."

"It was nice to meet you too, Harry," she smiled at him. "Listen to Sirius; he is deadly serious when it comes to promises."

Harry smiled and for the last time took in the view before he turned his head to Mr Black and whispered, "Let's go."

Mr Black nodded slowly and suddenly everything around Harry was enveloped by pitch blackness. The pain came back, excruciating like the first time he got there and then suddenly it stopped. He lost consciousness for good.

* * *

He woke up to the sounds of beeping machines in a room which smelt like detergents. Hospital. He felt numb from the pain and very, very weak.

"Harry," the voice which seemed to come from a very far away called his name softly.

He willed his eyes to open but they felt very heavy. He tried once again and succeed. The room was dim, awash by the light coming from a single lamp which stood few feet away from him. The next thing which he spotted was a chair which seemed to be occupied by hunched figure.

He tried to remember the voice which called his name and slowly as if through a fog his mind connected the voice and the face of the owner. Hermione.

"Hermione," he mumbled, his own voice sounded raspy, like he hadn't used it for some time.

"Harry," she whispered and he felt her hand squeeze his gently. "You are awake."

The haze seemed to be clearing and he saw her face more clearly. Her hair was even messier than usual, her clothes wrinkled, her face tearstained and her eyes red.

"How long?" he whispered.

"A week," she whispered. "You were out for a week. They put you in chemically induced coma because of the swelling on your brain."

"Teddy?"

"With Dudley, and Duncan," she answered weakly.

"You? How long?" he asked.

"First three days non-stop and once again last two days when they told me that you should be waking," she answered quietly. "Oh Merlin I was so worried," she exhaled. "Why didn't you check first?"

"Idiot," Harry said truthfully. "I mean me."

"You are an idiot," Hermione agreed tearfully. "I thought that we lost you for a while. If it wasn't for Doctor Hopkins you would be dead."

"I'm sorry, Hermione," Harry mumbled.

"Did you see someone on the other side?" asked Hermione weakly.

"Sirius, Mr Black, Sirius's girlfriend and son," Harry said tiredly. "I never knew that Sirius had a girlfriend and was supposed to have a child, he never told me."

"Oh," Hermione mumbled.

"She was murdered by Death Eaters when she was pregnant with a boy, seventh week," Harry whispered. "If she lived I could have a godmother and a companion, a brother. And it explains what Kingsley and the others told me about Sirius … when they died he lost his will to live, he took chances in battles … wishing …" he said slowly thinking how he would feel if he was in Sirius's shoes.

"… that he died to be with them," Hermione finished quietly.

Suddenly Harry was struck with another thought. Now it all became clear as glass, the whole projecting James on Harry when Sirius was at Grimmauld Place, locked up in the house of his parents with nothing for company but memories of what he had lost and there was Harry, a painful remainder of what Sirius could have, what he might have if his happiness wasn't snatched away from him.

Hermione said that back then, Harry became more and more like Sirius and for Sirius it was even more painful to see Harry, so much like him, not like his own father. Constant reminder of a son, a little boy who never grew up to make his father happy.

Harry blinked to hold back the tears but he couldn't stop them. He cried himself into undisturbed sleep with Hermione holding his hand.

* * *

The doctors let him leave the hospital at 12 August after rotting for eleven days since he woke up in his hospital bed. He had been waiting for that day impatiently. Teddy was supposed to be under Dudley's watchful eyes while Hermione was supposed to bring Harry home.

She came to him in the morning with a bag full of fresh clothes. He quickly dressed up in his favourite jeans and t-shirt, threw leather jacket over it and checked the bag for shoes.

He found a pair of black-leathered Auror shoes which were reaching the middle of his calves. It wasn't a pair he owned, he owned two pairs of Auror shoes, one which were reaching ankles and the second pair which were ending just under his knees. This pair wasn't his. He shrugged and put them on, fitting perfectly, like they were made for him. It was then when he realised whose shoes they were.

Hermione brought him a dead man's shoes; she brought him Sirius's shoes. Maybe Mr Black was wrong and Harry was meant to walk in Sirius's shoes. After all, they fit perfectly.

* * *

**Awaiting criticism - like always. I'm replying as long as you leave me your email or you log in while reviewing. Bring my ego down ;)**

_I hope that I intrigued you enough. We are going to see more of Dudley in the future, he and his son are going to be around. It seemed fitting for both of them to have similar experience thus they can help each other. _

_Most of you won't be probably happy with Horcruxes but mind that Harry mentiones only that a thing like Horcrux can exist and doesn't gives how one is supposed to make it (he doesn't know it himself, except the information we already know from the books). Houseboard might be considered as not the wisest choice but he is not stupid. Houseboard is pereceptive and that perception will keep Harry from getting mad at some point of time. As for Houseboard himself, I'm House M.D. fan and while Gregory Houseboard has nothing to do with Gregory House (if someone watches the show and reads the chapters carefully will discover that they are exact opposites), Harry needs the ocasional support of someone who wasn't a part of the war (perception again). _

_Mr Black - there is more than meets the eye about him though it won't be said straight away (more likely most of you will **guess** his role by what you are going to read in chapter six). _

_Mirzam and Sadalsuud - I know that for some reason people hate the name Sadalsuud even if it has a good meaning. Sadalsuud himself isn't going to be important character, we might catch glimpses of him here and there and maybe get an ocasional conversation with Harry but Sadalsuud isn't going to be significant character. Mirzam is going to play vital part at some point of time even if she herself isn't the centre of the story - that's Sirius, with time Harry will start to treat her as an adopted godmother (though dead one on that) and her distance from everything which had happened, is happening and is going to happen will help Harry deal with Sirius's death in its own way as well as the other things. **Hermione of course is going to be important**, more important than Lily or Mirzam but thanks to Lily and Mirzam put together Harry is going keep his sanity when the things will start going insane and he will be in need of motherly advices (Lily's passionate and Mirzam's more perceptive)._

**Next chapter:** Harry and Hermione get a visit, a very enlightening one on that. Later they go with Dudley and the kids to Godric's Hollow where things start getting out of the control and feathery nuisance makes his first appearence.


	6. Chapter 6: What You Can Find in a

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or anything what you can recognize from the books. I do however own the plot of this story but I don't have profits because of it unless you count improving my English as a profit.

**Preview:** Harry and Hermione get a visit, a very enlightening one on that. Later they go with Dudley and the kids to Godric's Hollow where things start getting out of the control and feathery nuisance makes his first appearence.

**So** **_read, enjoy and review (because I love to read your criticism and as long as you are logged in or I have your email I'm answering to your questions)._**

_Thanks to my beta MyUsedRomance who put up with my grammar and offered to beta read this story._

* * *

**Chapter Six: What You Can Find in a Graveyard.**

Three days had passed since Harry left the hospital. He was cleared from having brain trauma and his ribs were back to their usual state but for the sake of Harry's health and sanity he was put on health leave till 1st September by Melvin and Kingsley. They both claimed that him coming back to work for two weeks before being relocated to another job made no sense and he could spend the rest of his time off with his godson.

In the evening of 15th August Harry found himself sitting across the kitchen table with three surprised Malfoys. Yesterday, he received a short letter from Narcissa and Lucius asking if they could visit him. He had answered that yes, they could come and visit him at Grimmauld next day and stay for dinner if they wanted and that's how it ended.

Hermione together with Kreacher prepared a feast Hogwarts worthy. She seated herself next to Teddy who had Harry on the other side of his chair and glared at three Malfoys suspiciously. In the meantime when she was finishing the dinner Harry asked the Malfoys about suing him from his house. All three stared at him blankly like he just said that he planned to resurrect Voldemort.

Finally Narcissa reacted. At first she started snickering silently and before Harry got over initial shock she had been laughing wholeheartedly. Lucius started chuckling and soon he was laughing as loud as Narcissa did. Draco looked from his mother to his father back and forth few times before he made a circling move with his right hand close to his temple.

"What?" Harry asked uncomfortably. "I hardly see anything funny in it."

"But it is funny, Potter," Lucius snickered. "Actually, I should say Black, you are a Black now."

"You got tricked by Melvin Prewett," Narcissa explained after she managed to calm down. "Neither Lucius nor I helped Bellatrix and the other two in escaping Azkaban, about this one I can assure you, we wouldn't risk our freedom for her. As for Grimmauld Place and all Black family fortune they are rightfully yours due to Sirius's will. He was the last male Black in the family and if he wanted to turn this house into brothel he could do it, that was his right. He passed the house to you lawfully and I assure you that even if we wanted to fight you over this we won't win that lawsuit, everything is legal."

"But would Prewett do that?" Hermione asked surprised. "Why did he urge Harry to change his surname if there was no legal threat?"

"Heard that he is a complete fruitcake," Draco muttered and he took a bite from the roast beef in front of him.

"Agreed," Lucius nodded. "The tragic death of his wife and son didn't exactly make him stable," he added and he dug into his beef. "Delicious."

"Thank you," Hermione said. "But still," she sighed heavily.

"The question is what he could achieve by making you a Black," said Lucius pensively.

"That's good one," Harry agreed with the older man. "I checked the tapestry and sure there is a marriage of Ignatius Prewett to Lucretia Black; but I checked Nature's Nobility and Melvin is some kind of third cousin second time removed to Ignatius, with absolutely no way for a chance of inheritance," he said.

"I don't think that it is inheritance he wants," said Narcissa thoughtfully. "I think, I might be wrong," she paused to take a bite of baked potatoes, "that he wants to turn you into one of the best Aurors he lost in the first war."

"Who? I'm not related to Mad-Eye Moody and he had died in second war," Harry said with a small shrug.

"Not Mad-Eye Moody," Lucius said. "The best Auror of his own generation."

"Your godfather," Narcissa explained. "Melvin and Mad-Eye were the ones who mentored him. He had great future in front of him."

"Some saw him as Head of the Aurors, others as future Head of DMLE, a few future Minister of Magic. He was a man with great potential. With extensive knowledge in Dark Arts and Dark Magic, thanks to his father. Mr Black trained both boys to be worthy of serving the Dark Lord," said Lucius seriously.

"Except that not everything went according to his plan. Something had happened shortly before Sirius entered Hogwarts. Something crucial, something which had changed young Death Eater in training into the man he became. What it was no one knows but that's when the change had started," added Narcissa.

"The Dark Lord didn't give q price for his head because he had a fancy to do it, you should know it," Lucius added gravely. "He was a nuisance, a lightning bolt during the storm for Death Eaters. Things for Death Eaters turned even worse after his girlfriend was murdered."

"Bellatrix," Narcissa snorted. "The Dark Lord wasn't very happy with her when he learned that the death of Mirzam Verascez cost him fifteen Death Eaters dead or captured by your godfather in a span of one month after her death. After she died Sirius got even worse, even more drastic, vengeful, at some point of time … even cruel."

"And that's why Crouch feared him. That's why he chose to remove the threat away, lock him inside Azkaban in top security cell for life without a proper trial when the chance for doing so presented itself to him. Your godfather was a danger for old Barty and the rumours which never a Death Eater who valued his or hers life confirmed, that Sirius Black was Dark Lord's right hand had very good origins even if they weren't true. Had he been a Death Eater he would be a jewel amongst us. Second in command and maybe even, after a time a threat to the Dark Lord," Lucius explained quickly, his voice was grave.

"He would have been the next Dark Lord if he had chosen this path," Narcissa said quietly and she shivered.

"And people would have followed him," Lucius nodded. "Especially if the word about Dark Lord's true heritage became known between the Death Eaters. On one end a half-blood, true, a heir of Slytherin but still a half-blood, on the other son of pure-blood family with money and political power which the Dark Lord could never have. Oh, yes your godfather would have been a threat to the Dark Lord."

"Prewett is like Slughorn in some way, except less manipulative, less obvious," Narcissa suddenly changed the subject. "He liked to collect these who could go farther than the others, he liked to influence them, give them power to achieve great things. Sirius was his finest student and I can bet that he saw something in you which brought back the memory of Sirius. Something which made him remember the man who could achieve great things if Azkaban hadn't stood in his way; and by some sort of miracle in the Ministry of Magic there was a half filled Blood Adoption Warrant, not active because it wasn't finished but, still, it was very tempting."

"He made you a Black to fix up what had happened in the past. He will shape you into the finest Auror in Europe. Sirius didn't have a son, a heir of his path but he had a godson…" Lucius started.

"Who has Sirius's character," Hermione finished. "Should we fear him, Prewett, I mean?" she asked.

"Hardly," Narcissa sighed. "Melvin Preweet isn't dangerous; he isn't any kind of a threat to the wizarding world."

"If he wanted power trust me he would achieve it by now. The problem lies in him. He lost Sirius Black to Azkaban and now he has a chance to push Sirius Black junior down the path his father should have gone if it wasn't for Azkaban," Lucius said pensively.

"That's just great," Harry snorted. "For everyone, I'm just a shadow of someone else. For Snape ,I was James Potter reincarnated and for Melvin I'm Sirius Black reincarnated."

"You are you," said Narcissa. "The question is: do you want to go down the path of your godfather?"

Harry glanced down at his feet under the table. He was wearing Sirius's shoes; he had been too lazy to find his own after he came back from hospital.

"I'm wearing his shoes," he said pointedly. "I think that speaks for itself."

"It does," three Malfoys said together.

"But it doesn't mean that Melvin will be happy about it," Harry muttered. "I will show him that no one can manipulate me and live to tell the tale."

"You aren't going to kill him, are you?" Hermione asked grimly.

"No, I'm not. He will live but I will make sure that he will regret tricking me very, very soon," Harry said grimly.

"That's Sirius to the bone," Narcissa snickered. "If you want to scare living daylight out of Prewett you could change your appearance to more Sirius-like."

"All I need for it is getting royally pissed off in front of him," Harry muttered. "It seems that lately whenever I'm very angry I channel Sirius."

"House of your fathers'," Hermione muttered suddenly. "That's what you said when you send Ron and Ginny away."

"I really did?" Harry asked surprised, he didn't remember. "That's also the thing which makes me feel weird about it all. Why I can channel Sirius so much to change my appearance even if I'm not a Metamorphomagus?" he asked no one in particular.

"You are Sirius's second cousin by blood and by Blood Adoption you became his son," said Narcissa.

"I don't think that this is it," Harry shook his head. "I changed before Blood Adoption."

"So the problem lies elsewhere," Draco muttered. "In your own magic. Something happened, something which triggered your bond with your godfather and set it unstable. Some part of you depends on it."

"And brings it to the surface whenever you are very angry," Hermione added pensively. "I think that it was Bellatrix, that's when you changed for the very first time. She killed Sirius and she wanted to kill you, kill us. Some part of you wanted revenge for Sirius death, the part of you which didn't have a chance to grieve Sirius properly willed your own magic into changing your appearance."

"As if it wanted her to die from the hand of the man that she killed," Narcissa said pensively. "Did she see him changing?" she asked Hermione curiously.

"Possibly," Hermione nodded. "But I was closer than she was and even then it wasn't a whole change, just his eyes and it went as soon as it appeared. The whole change started later."

"So that was the trigger," Narcissa said. "Bellatrix."

"How can you be so calm about it?" Harry asked suddenly, Bellatrix was Narcissa's sister and Narcissa acted like it wasn't important.

"About Bellatrix?" Narcissa asked in mild surprise. "She was the Dark Lord's most trusted servant and if the Dark Lord told her to kill her whole family she would do it without a blink, trust me. She was mad, she was married but she didn't know the meaning of family, what a person can do to save her beloved ones, how far one could do to do this," her voice was passionate and her eyes were shining brightly.

"I think that I have an idea," Harry said and he looked down at Teddy, who during their conversation smeared his puree on his face. "To death and back again."

"Ages ago Regulus found an old Muggle book. There was a phrase there which he liked very much. It went like that: 'There is no greatest love nor greatest sacrifice than killing or dying for the ones you love.'," Narcissa said pensively.

"And that's what he did," Harry said quietly. "He died in attempt of bringing Voldemort down. Unsung hero of his own kind. Maybe someday I will give my son his name and later I will tell him a story about young man who sacrificed his own life to get rid of the Dark Lord."

"If you want to name your kids after everyone who sacrificed themselves during the war you might want to start an orphanage," Hermione sighed. "That's quite a lot of names."

"Actually four, fifth is sitting with us," Harry said pensively and his thoughts came back to that dream he had weeks ago, of Hermione and their children. "Teddy Remus, Sirius James and Regulus Severus, maybe someday I will add another name."

"Why these names?" asked Draco curiously.

"I'm a Black, am I not?" Harry asked with a small snicker. "It would be fitting to name my sons after Sirius and Regulus, each of them was brave in their own way and perhaps in some way it would be like fixing that riff between them. And the other two names are the names of my father and the man who could be my father. They are fitting Gryffindor and Slytherin. And imagine McGongall's terror when one day she is going to sort Sirius James Black."

"You have no heart," Hermione snorted.

"Slughorn might cry from happiness if he gets Regulus Severus Black," Lucius snorted. "He was very fond of both of them."

"I wasn't aware that he was still teaching," Harry snickered.

"He is," Lucius sighed. "And he will be teaching till McGonagall finds a suitable replacement which could rival the level of brilliancy of either of them, Severus's or at least Slughorn himself."

"Does it mean that Snape was better potion master than Slughorn?" Hermione asked curiously.

"In knowledge? Yes, Severus could easily beat Slug with his eyes blind and one hand behind his back even when he was still Hogwarts student. That's why he was such a valuable Death Eater. One of the few excellent First Class Potion Masters who didn't bringt their title but achieved everything on their own," said Lucius.

"Of course Slughorn didn't buy his First Class Potion Mastery, he got it because of his works but even when he was teaching us he was very old and his brightest days were far behind him," added Narcissa.

"I preferred Snape," Draco said.

"Boohoo, not much of news," Harry snorted. "Just because he was Slytherin biased and for Slughorn everyone was equal as long as the potions were done right."

"He was my godfather, dunderhead," Draco muttered and Harry immediately blushed.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"Amazing how little it's required to hear sorry from you," Draco snickered.

"Aren't we all godfatherly biased, Draco?" Harry asked ironically.

"Point taken, P… B… Harry," Draco mumbled. "So how is life faring?" he changed the subject.

"Quite good," Harry answered truthfully. "Getting run by a bus wasn't something which I planned to do but otherwise we are doing fine."

"Bus?" asked Narcissa curiously.

"I was on a walk with my cousin and our kiddies and when I was about to cross the street I forgot to check if anything was coming which was a very bad move," Harry mumbled sheepishly.

"You were lucky that the ambulance was nearby," Hermione said and she whacked his arm, hard. "Otherwise, we will be at your funeral."

"Hey, Voldemort killed me two times and we are still talking. I will need something far more powerful than a double-decker to depart from the world," Harry snickered.

"Like a needle bursting your ego?" Draco asked ironically.

"Speaking about ego. How was sabbatical?" Harry snickered. "I'm going to chase after you or can I have someone else to worry about?"

"Unless you want tickets for the Quidditch league, you might find someone else to chase. Starting from September the 1st I'm going to work in Department of Magical Games and Sports. No one is foolish enough to let a Death Eater even with changed loyalty in DMLE or DIMC," Draco snorted half-heartedly. "Speaking about DIMC, I heard that there were troubles in paradise, you know the Daily Prophet."

"Saw Ron lately?" Hermione asked. "If you do hex his balls to fall off, spurt little fluffy wings and let them fly away and tell him that Hermione sends her regards and that you are granted with the honour of being godfather of the Traitor Who Lived and Scarlet Woman's lovechild. That might put him under even more."

"And you tell me that I have no heart," Harry snickered. "Don't look so surprised, there is no lovechild but it's something Ron doesn't need to know about until he regains his senses and comes around."

"I will keep that in mind," Draco chuckled.

"How are things with Teddy?" asked Narcissa curiously.

"Quite good, Wolfsbane is working splendidly and aside of it everything is fine with Mr I'm-trying-to-eat-on-my-own-but-failing-miserably," Harry smiled at Teddy affectionately. "Hermione, remind me to ask Dudley about his nursery tomorrow. It's the highest time to take care of it if we are going to start working from September."

"I already did," Hermione said. "Perfect place for children from six months to four years old with kindergarten attached to it. Splendid health care, though you are going to talk with the nurse about Teddy's condition. Very colourful place, very nice staff and as another pro your cousin who is just a phone call away if you finally cave in and buy a mobile phone."

"You are sending Teddy to Muggle nursery?" Narcissa asked.

"It's not as if someone could took care of him in the wizarding world," Hermione sighed. "I think that the wizarding world is still stuck at least in nineteenth century with all this 'stay at home barefoot and pregnant' attitude. If there was a wizarding kindergarten we would be both happy to send Teddy there and I think that Dudley would be happy too knowing that Duncan might grow around wizarding kids."

"Your muggle cousin? He has a kid who is a wizard?" Narcissa asked. "That's very interesting development and very good idea Ms Granger."

"Oh, no," Lucius mumbled. "She spent last year thinking about doing something productive after the war and now you gave her an idea. I hate you."

"Why?" Harry snickered.

"Because she is a Black and once Black gets a fixation then the world is doomed, there is nothing which can make a Black change his or hers mind," Lucius moaned.

"Oh stop acting like a kid Lucius. You know it's a perfectly good idea and if we can have McGongall cooperating we can prepare a wizarding nursery and kindergarten for all wizards and witches. Muggle-born kids could use an additional start in wizarding world if their parents wished too. That's a great idea," Narcissa said happily. "Would you terrible mind Ms Granger if I borrowed you for the remaining time of the holidays?"

"I'm free till 1st September, so is Harry," Hermione said with a smile and then she turned to him as she said, "You aren't going to wriggle yourself from this one."

"As long as we can go tomorrow to Godric's Hollow, I can spend the rest of the free time dancing hula at the Piccadilly if you wish to," Harry snickered.

"I don't think that going to Godric's Hollow is going to take all day," Narcissa commented.

"Actually it is," Hermione chuckled. "We are going by a car."

"Did you two forget that you can do magic?" Lucius asked surprised.

"We can, Dudley can't; he and his son are going with us. He wanted to visit my parents' grave, they are his aunt and uncle after all, and now when Duncan is magical… Plus I wanted to visit it too, from what I know Andromeda buried Remus, Tonks and Ted there, Snape is buried there too," Harry said.

"She is buried there too, Harry," Hermione said. "You were knocked out when the funeral took place."

"We will visit the graveyard, fool around for a few hours and then we come back to London," Harry said dreamily.

"Then I will visit McGonagall tomorrow and ask her if she can help us," Narcissa said. "Unless you two want to go to Godric's Hollow too."

"I will spend the next day at Gringotts, I need to check the finances for that kindergarten of yours," Lucius sighed.

"I can help," Harry supplied. "I have my monthly statement from Gringotts somewhere … around. If I can find it."

Hermione sighed heavily, "It's in Orion's study under your 'Hunchback from Notredame'."

"Women, what men would do without them," Lucius chuckled.

"There isn't a question what they would do without them," Hermione snickered. "They wouldn't do," Hermione and Narcissa finished together.

"And we are supposed to believe that you two aren't together, right," Draco muttered.

"Us and the rest of the world," Lucius snorted.

* * *

As a whole, the evening with the Malfoys fell into category of a pleasant one, conversation was decent and the Malfoys were impressed by changes which occurred in grim old manor. When Hermione and Narcissa busied themselves with feminine conversation in the corner of the living-room Harry spent some time with Lucius and Draco explaining the concept of a television to them. Long after Teddy had been put to his crib, the Malfoys bid their goodbyes and promised to come around at 17th August. Narcissa and Hermione were supposed to busy themselves with finding proper staff for the nursery while Harry, Lucius and Draco were supposed to go hunting for suitable estate.

"I never thought what I'm about to say, it but it was very nice evening. Don't you think, Harry?" Hermione asked as they were climbing up the stairs.

"Same there," Harry snickered. "I fear that I created a monster with letting these two have a go at the television set. I will be very surprised if in near future we aren't going to end with MalfoyTV."

At that Hermione snickered, "That's very entertaining idea. MalfoyTV. You've done it this time."

"What about you?" Harry snickered.

"I got few motherly advices about men," Hermione snickered. "A man is a head of the family my dear girl but a woman is a neck which keeps the head attached to the body. Let them think that they are running the house but you should know better than that and always remember to have a bottle of Firewhiskey around, a glass of Ogden's finest never hurst a man but spared a lot of women from losing their heads after a big shopping trip."

"Oh, yeah," Harry chuckled. "That's something which aunt Petunia did too."

After he bid Hermione goodnight he went to his bedroom, Sirius's old bedroom. He still wanted to robe the room from Sirius's personality but this room offered Harry comfort he always welcomed with open arms.

He fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.

* * *

He woke up in a room which looked very familiar. It was one of the two rooms in Grimmauld Place which remained untouched after renovation. One of them was Sirius's bedroom, the other room, which he didn't want or dared to touch, was Regulus's bedroom.

Already used to reaching to dead people in his dreams, he hazarded a guess whom he summoned this time. Regulus. His guess turned out to be right because the previous occupant of the room was sitting cross-legged on the top of the desk in the corner.

Regulus looked very much like Sirius did except he was clean shaved and while his jet-black hair was longer than the pictures of him Harry saw around the house he still looked more like someone Harry's age than someone going on forty. He was wearing a plain muggle black shirt with long sleeves and black jeans.

"Hey, kiddo. Something troubling you, nephew?" he asked with a smile.

"Nothing is troubling me," Harry sighed and he propped himself on the bed. "Well except the Malfoys, I fear that I created a monster."

"That's not very bad thing, you now. They have money, lots of them; and between the most hermetical pure-bloods their name still means something. The changes in the wizarding world have already started but creating a stable and tolerant community is going to take some time and you will need all the help you can get, especially from the pure-bloods," Regulus said and he hopped from the desk down on the floor.

"What makes you think that I will try to change the community?" Harry asked curiously.

"Because deep down you are more a Black than a Potter. Potters never sought the honours, neither did you, but deep down in their own manner they were pretty hermetical, with all due respect to your ancestors," Regulus said as he sat down on the bed. "The Blacks, however, always had an upper hand on the Potters, they knew the changes when they were starting and by law and in some way in blood you are more of a Black than a Potter. Blood Adoption while not changing the appearance of the receiver makes the receiver the blood member of the family, while keeping the former family relations still in place."

"So I'm still a Potter," Harry said.

"In biological sense yes," Regulus nodded. "Taking your mother's blood and her ancestry into account that gives one mother, two fathers, three grandmothers and three grandfathers. Three of said grandparents and one of your fathers are Blacks, one grandfather is a Potter so is your other dad. Out of nine blood relations in four you are a Black and a Potter in two and while you still have Potters blood in your veins you are recognised as the heir of both families, but more as a Black. It's kind of a tricky case, you know," he explained and scratched his chin with his left hand. "To the already existing link between you and the Blacks was added another link, much stronger. That's why you received all Black family inheritance."

"I think that you are mistaken," Harry shook his head. "Blood Adoption took place few weeks ago and I received inheritance after Sirius had died and that was three years ago."

"Gryffindors," Regulus sighed tiredly. "They can't see logic even if it's dancing in front of them in a pink tutu. Tell me one thing, my dear nephew, when was the Blood Adoption Warrant filled for the first time?" he looked at Harry pointedly.

"When Sirius was alive," Harry breathed out.

"Exactly," Regulus nodded. "And while it required your signature to work properly Sirius managed to leave an open a gate for you to receive Black family inheritance. He knew what he was doing. You weren't a Black in the name but you were recognised by magic as one of us, that's why Kreacher answers to you."

"But why did Sirius never tell me about it?" Harry asked surprised.

"Good question," Regulus snickered. "Why don't you ask him? If you want my honest, unbiased and objective opinion he had his own demons to deal with in this house. In a way he wanted and he didn't want to see you as his son. It's quite a paradox, I know, but Sirius was always a paradox of his own. In some way seeing you as his son, was an insult to the memory of your parents and his own son he never had a chance to bring up and in the other way he loved you as much if not more as he would love his little boy. That's why he never asked you to finish the warrant, because he was afraid of insulting the memory of anyone, of taking the place which by right wasn't his to take. And of course if given chance he would raise you as his son but he was very conflicted back then, at Grimmauld of course. Perhaps if he had more time, a chance to talk with you about this he would have adopted you, even against Dumbledore's wishes," Regulus explained.

"So it all boils down to…" Harry started.

"What we fear," Regulus cut him off. "Deep down in our hearts. The human heart is an amazing thing. It's far more complicated than the mind, in my opinion, because inside our hearts reside our deepest desires, our deepest fears. It's a heart which gives us power to do things we never expected ourselves to do. You are one of few people in the world who were marked by pure, the most powerful form of love, sacrifice. Like in that old muggle proverb 'what you give, someday comes back to you, only that it's stronger, more powerful'. You were loved dearly by everyone and their love for you had been returned to them in the moment you went to Forbidden Forest, ready to die for you world. There is no greatest love or greatest sacrifice than killing or dying for people you love. Of course sometimes that huge power gets twisted in ones belief because sometimes people can't see this thin little line between killing from love and killing from vengeance. Some people are too thick to recognise the difference between the two; killing from love is killing the person who wants to kill someone you love and you are smart kid and you know what means killing from vengeance," he said quietly.

"Sirius killed because of vengeance?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Regulus nodded. "He was grief-stricken after Mirzam had died, for a moment he lost his will to live. That's when he became so rash, so uncaring about his own hide, as long as the people he loved were safe he didn't cared about himself. And then, on particular July night in the world appeared someone who made him care. A reason to live, a reason to be even better Auror than he already was, better not only in the Ministry records but also in his own heart. He didn't wanted to be a murderer in your eyes. His desperate want for justice for his girl's and son's deaths had lost with his love to you and he poured all his wounded heart into you. You saved him from dying in madness, you were his ray of sunshine, his hope. You saved his heart."

"Is this why I reach for him first? Is this why I change my appearance when I'm really angry?" Harry asked timidly.

"Yes," Regulus said quietly. "Don't get me wrong, your parents loved you with all their hearts, they died to save you and that's the greatest love of all. But Sirius didn't just loved you with all his heart, you were his heart. He could deal with James's and Lily's deaths, even with Mirzam's and his son's, as painful as they were but in the moment he lost Mirzam and Sadie he bound his heart to you, I don't think that he was even aware of it but if you died before him he would die too. Losing you was a thought he couldn't stand, wouldn't stand, ever."

"But why I reach him when I'm angry?" Harry asked.

"I think it's because that was the state of Sirius's heart when he bound his heart to you. You touch that part of him deep inside when you are angry. Of course it didn't had happened immediately but do you remember that night when you were coming back home after Andromeda was murdered?"

"Yes," Harry confirmed.

"That's when you touched that part of him in you. You put yourself in his position, you realised how much the two of you were alike. Then later when you reached to him in anger at your girl and you were holding a Metamorphomagus kid in your arms. You aren't Metamorphomagus yourself but your heart together with Teddy's power of shape shifting brought back to the surface Sirius in you, completely."

"But next time I changed, Teddy was in his crib," Harry said defensively, trying to reason with the man.

"Yes, Teddy wasn't there when you changed next time. But your body, your magic remembered that change, remembered the threat and you knew what had happened later. It's Sirius's love trying to protect you, you channel him in the moments of anger because your heart seeks mentorship, seeks someone older, more experienced who had only your wellbeing in mind. With passing time you will learn to bring that part of your heart which is bonded to Sirius's in moments other than anger."

"So I will look more like him?"

"Partly yes," Regulus nodded. "But just partly, considering that in blood you are his son and as I said the Blood Adoption doesn't changes appearance of the receiver but never before Blood Adoption was applied to someone who was so much bonded with the heart of his Blood Adoptive parent. With time the changes will become permanent but they will be distinct, nothing overly drastic. You will still look like the son of James Potter and Lily Evans but you will be able to recognise Sirius's features in you. These who love you will be able to see that distinct change; they are bound to see it."

"Is it supposed to end at some point of time?" Harry asked nervously, he loved Sirius dearly but he didn't want to turn into Sirius junior.

"Yes, at some point of time it will end. I can't exactly point the exact hour or even a day, hardly month but I say that in few years the changes will stop, in the moment you will learn why they occurred considering all given circumstances. It's up to you to discover them. You are smart and you will manage."

"But why?" Harry pleaded.

"That's for you to find out and for me to tease you about. We will see each other in the future my dear nephew, for now rest before your mind fries with so much information," Regulus chuckled.

"Wait," Harry called out. "I wanted to ask you about something else."

"Not this time," Regulus gave him small smile. "I'm not going anywhere and maybe another day you will ask me that question. One hint, remember what I said about hearts. Goodnight," Regulus said and he vanished.

Harry glared at the spot from which Regulus had vanished. He wanted to ask the man about what made him change the sides, what was it that he learned about Voldemort which made him change. Maybe if Harry called out Snape the older man could answer him.

He spent the next two hours calling Snape to him. Being polite didn't work and by the time Harry resulted into muttering curses under Snape's address nothing had changed. Maybe Snape didn't want to see Harry ever again. With a small huff Harry rolled on his side and fell asleep once more.

* * *

Suddenly, in front of him materialised the kitchen at Grimmauld Place. His older self was sipping tea from a cup and an older Hermione, just as pregnant as she was in his last dream, was sitting at the other side of the table and was polishing silverware.

Suddenly, the flames in the fireplace turned green and a heavily cloaked figure stepped inside the kitchen. The hood of the cloak fell back and Harry was utterly surprised when he realised who the man, with shoulder-length, straight, jet-black hair speckled with lots of grey who turned around to face the dream Harry and Hermione, was. Harry could recognize these black eyes anywhere, as well as that hooked nose. In front of him, looking older than he was supposed to at the moment of his death was standing Severus Snape. But, there was something about Snape's eyes which was different than the ones from Harry's memories, they weren't empty, they were full of warmth and mirth.

"Hey dad," older Harry smiled at Snape and quickly set down his cup on the table before he went to greet the older man.

"You assumed that Minnie McGonagall will find a way to keep me at Hogwarts for Christmas while I can spend Christmas with my son, daughter-in-law and grandsons?" Snape asked merrily after he pulled away from older Harry's hug.

"It's good to see you, dad," older Hermione said and she quickly pulled the older man into a tight hug.

"You got bigger since I saw you for the last time," Snape said cheerfully. "Merlin, I can't believe that it is the sixth month," he laid his left hand gently on Hermione's stomach. "They are kicking," he observed happily.

"We think that they are vampires," older Harry chuckled. "They are at their top activity when normal people are going to sleep."

"Nonsense," Snape chuckled. "My beautiful granddaughters aren't vampires," he actually smiled.

"Then maybe you will be able to talk them to sleep when their mum does," Hermione smiled. "Because neither Harry, Teddy nor I are succeeding in doing so."

"And how are our little devils?" Snape asked happily when older Harry wandered to the counter to prepare tea.

"Sleeping, finally, all three of them. They wanted to stay up to see you," Hermione answered.

"Nah," Snape sighed as he took of his cloak and laid it on the back of the chair. "I didn't even know if I would manage to escape Headmistress Kitty today. Can you believe that she made me supervise a detention on Christmas Eve?" he asked merrily as he sat down. "Christmas Eve, seriously. I think that she is trying to channel my younger self."

"And failing miserably from what we heard," Harry chuckled.

"Oh, you should have seen her face when I told her few days ago that I'm going to take a sabbatical right before Easter break. I swear that I never suspected that she can turn so red," Snape chuckled as he accepted steaming mug from older Harry's hands.

"Well you could be more compassionate, you are going to leave her alone for a year without a Deputy Headmaster," Hermione giggled.

"Longbottom can do it well," Snape quipped. "Seriously, I'm telling you that this whole Deputy Headmaster charade is a plot to keep me away from my family. She is ganging on me, with Slughorn. Seriously, it's the seventh year when they are asking me to take over Slytherin House and sixth of Potions, as if something could pull me away from Defence Against the Dark Arts and having a laugh every time when dear old Slug screws up," he said happily.

"So who is going to take over your post for a year?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Pomona agreed to return for that year, Longbottom is taking over the DADA post for me, his dearest is settling herself with Madam Pomfrey and Freddy turns Hagrid's worst nightmares into reality," Snape explained.

"Ginny wrote me if I happen to know a way of keeping a child on reasonable leash without gluing said delinquent to some flat surface," Hermione giggled. "Seriously sometimes I'm tempted to ask her to babysit the twins."

"Wait till the girls are born and Longbottom will have to beg her to allow him having one child of his," Snape chuckled.

"That would be tad weird if you are going to be with us for that year," Harry snickered.

"You can always tell her that I had gone for a well deserved vacation," Snape snickered.

"Nah, that would be out of character. Remember we had to talk you into coming back to Hogwarts after Sirius and Regulus were born," Hermione shook her head.

"And still it took us a whole school year to persuade you that you can sleep at Hogwarts too," Harry grinned.

"Phew. You don't love me," Snape muttered in a hurt voice.

"We love you dad but we don't want to pull you away from your life," Harry said with a smile.

"My life is here, and Hogwarts is my job, that's different," Snape said quickly. "Remember our first Christmas together?"

"Who wouldn't?" Harry snickered. "I swear that Lucius Malfoy is still keeping that photo as a blackmail material."

"Yeah, Lucy is pain in the back when he wants. Remember that you are having the Malfoys over for a New Year. I heard from Draco that he and Dudley are doing splendidly with their newest program," Snape sighed.

"It would be great to see Hannah and little Scorpius again. Susan already wrote me that she and Dudley are going to bring Duncan, Simon and Amelia around," Hermione said happily.

Snape snickered before he said in theatrical whisper, "You didn't hear it from me, if someone asks. Just play surprised at the party. Hannah is expecting a girl; she should be due before the end of the summer holidays. Draco is out of his mind with worry and Narcissa and Lucius are getting kittens because it is going to be first girl born in Malfoy family in the last two centuries. Hannah is the only one person in the family who doesn't seem to be very affected by it."

"Well Hannah is a Hufflepuff, there is hardly a thing which can shake a Hufflepuff," Hermione snickered.

"Yeah," Snape nodded. "Remember that rumours when the Daily Prophet had found out that Hannah Abbot was getting married to Draco Malfoy?"

"They were even worse than with us," Harry snickered. "Seriously remember how people were looking at you back then, Hermione?"

"Like I was about to burst anytime," Hermione snickered.

"Took you three more years to do it," Snape snickered.

"Pardon me for being so hard pressed," Hermione snorted. "And pardon me for ensuring that my hard work won't be destroyed by an idiot before I decided to have children."

"So another maternity leave?" Snape asked.

"Year worth," Hermione nodded. "Then they can go with the twins to Wizarding Day-care Centre after it ends. Being a friend with a director certainly has it perks. Did Draco mention that Narcissa is settling another branch in Scotland?"

"Yep. A Wizarding Day-care in every county, for which Narcissa Malfoy is blessed by witches and cursed by wizards who want their wives to stay at home barefoot and pregnant," Snape chuckled.

"Well, she is the one who prepares little wizards and witches for a start at Hogwarts. Remember what kind of a bloody nuisance she was seven years ago?" Hermione snickered.

"I remember how she chased Lucius, Draco and I around London. About a hundred perfect locations for a nursery and kindergarten and she finally settled at 6 and 7 Grimmauld Place. If I knew that she was going to pick these two old houses I wouldn't have wasted two months at looking for something which was right under our noses," older Harry snorted.

"Don't whine, at least you can bring your kids to nursery in a dressing-gown and slippers," Hermione giggled.

"I'm not whining Hermione, but honestly, she could have told us that at the very beginning," Harry snorted.

"You are whining," Snape chuckled.

"And it was ten weeks not two months," Hermione chuckled. "Not exactly my fault that the most hectic two weeks you spent first at the hospital – after transplanting bone marrow – and then in bed because you caught the stupid flu."

"Ah, bone marrow," Snape sighed. "If I had strength back then I would have strangled you after Narcissa told me that it wasn't only Potters bone marrow I got but also Blacks."

"Must have slipped from my mind," Harry snickered. "Don't complain, it saved your life."

"And I'm eternally grateful for it, Harry," Snape smiled at older Harry. "Gave me a chance to live my life fully."

"Yeah, Neville wrote us about that mudballs battle with four third year Gryffindors," Hermione snickered.

"I don't mean that one. I mean having a chance for a real family. Seeing my son getting married, seeing his kids. Things like that makes you wants to go through the hell and back just to glimpse them," Snape said dreamily.

"And it still took you a year before you called him son," Hermione chuckled. "You weren't better yourself Harry so stop smirking."

"I'm incredibly lucky git with three fathers," older Harry snickered. "Two in blood and one by choice."

"Three in blood," Snape corrected him. "Remember that I have your bone marrow."

"That makes you my brother," Harry snickered. "But I prefer a father whom I don't need to call back from the afterlife whenever I need fatherly advice."

"Regulus is still teasing you that it took you four years to realise what made you change your appearance?" Snape snickered. "Did I ever tell you that when I was stuck there sometimes I could hear his voice? In that land between dreams, nightmares and death only once he left me alone but he was back, very, very soon. He told me to don't give up, ever."

"Still," Harry admitted. "Seriously if he survived he could turn into next Dumbledore with all veiled replies of his. Though, he admitted that I started getting it when I visited Godric's Hollow after the war."

"Never forget 16th August 1999," Snape chuckled.

"Never," older Harry agreed. "The day when everything had changed."

The conversation was so very interesting that Harry wanted to sit and listen to them even longer. It was weird kind of conversation, with weird people having it since Snape was very much dead and there was no way for him to be alive. But as strange as it was it was comforting, Snape having a happy life, Harry having a happy life. It was just a dream, but it was good dream.

* * *

He woke up to someone shaking his right shoulder. He blinked the remains of sleep from his eyes and stared at Hermione. She was already fully dressed in her muggle jeans and t-shirt, Teddy was propped on her left hip.

"It's six o'clock in the morning Harry. We are supposed to meet Dudley at seven," she said simply.

"I'm up," he mumbled.

"Do you want to eat on the road or here at home?" she asked.

"If you have sandwiches packed I will eat in the car. Just let me have a shower," he said and he stood up from the bed.

He quickly showered, dressed up in his favourite pair of jeans and t-shirt. Under the bed he found Sirius's old jumper and together with his leather jacket he threw it to Hermione's almighty bottomless bag along with a pair of sandals. In the hall he spied Sirius's old shoes and quickly put them on.

Their rented black Renualt Espace was standing in front of the house. Sure it was huge but Hermione decided to pick this particular car because of its space. If five of them were going to Wales by the car they at least could travel comfortably, she told him when they first made their plans to visit Godric's Hollow with Dudley and the boys when Harry was still at the hospital. She rented the car when she was supposed to bring Harry home from the hospital and she kept it.

Harry quickly settled Teddy in the back of the car in his carrier. In a matter of few minutes they were supposed to be at Dudley's place and Teddy would be joined by Duncan then and since there were only two seats in the front one of them was supposed to sit on the seats in the middle.

Harry quickly aired the car, checked the level of gas and other important things which one should do before taking a long trip and waited for Hermione with her almighty bag in the car. After she locked down the house she quickly sat down on the passenger seat in front and they started driving.

Dudley and Duncan were already waiting for them in front of Dudley's flat after settling Duncan in the backseat next to Teddy. They quickly left London from the north side. Via several detours they reached Oxford where they ate a second breakfast and changed the boys' diapers. By the time they reached Worcester, by some freakish kind of detour via Statford upon-Avon because Hermione managed to get them lost in Oxford and instead ending on highway to Gloucester they ended on the road 34 where they managed to get themselves lost once again and instead going through road 44 which would lead them straight to Worcester they ended in Stratford upon-Avon. By the time they reached Newton they were hungry and utterly tired (Hermione and Dudley from quarrelling over the map and Harry from listening to their quarrels).

By the time they left Newton after having a big, but still early lunch, Harry told Hermione to stick to the road to Godric's Hollow which he had drawn with a pencil on the map during lunch. After another hour of driving – but this time without quarrels – they ended in Godric's Hollow. They quickly fed the boys and started showing Dudley around the village.

"You aren't planning to live here?" Dudley asked when they ended in front of Harry's parents' house.

"I thought about it after the war but I decided to live in London. Living here would be too painful," Harry sighed. "I don't even know what to do with this house."

"Why don't you keep it as a summer house?" Dudley asked. "Once Teddy grows up a bit he could use spending some time in the country. Nice village, lots of trees around, perfect environment for a vacation."

"Good idea, Dudley," Hermione admitted.

"I will worry about it next spring," Harry said quietly. "It would need a renovation and I'm not in mood for doing it now, plus I'm not going to have a lot of time to worry about it since September."

"You don't have to do it now," Hermione said compassionately. "But take it into account for future plans."

"So what now?" Harry asked. "Florist and the graveyard?"

In a small flower shop near the graveyard they bought five bouquets, four of white lilies and one of orange. Harry felt that the bouquet of orange lilies was far more fitting bouquet for Snape than the one with white flowers.

This time, since it was a bright sunny day they quickly located white marble headstone with Harry's parents' names on it. He laid flowers on their tomb and with another bouquet of white lilies and Teddy in his arms he wandered to Remus's and Tonks' grave. Their headstone, unlike Harry's parents, wasn't made from white marble, it was typical granite headstone. The words engraved on it read:

_Remus Lupin, born 10 March 1960, died 2 May 1998_

_Nymphadora Lupin, born 10 June 1973, died 2 May 1998_

_Killed in final battle with Lord Voldemort where they fought for__ a better world. Let's not allow their sacrifice to be in vain._

Harry sat down on the grass in front of the grave with Teddy on his knees and he turned his head to the right to blink away the tears which gathered in his eyes.

Immediately they fell on the black marble headstone with silver letters on it. His breath caught in his throat when he read the inscription engraved on it:

_Mirzam Mira Verascez_

_13 February 1960 – 24 December 1979_

_In death we will unite. All my love, my little star. Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow. Always._

He let go of Teddy and on his hand and knees crawled to the headstone. This was where Sirius's girl was buried, in Godric's Hollow, just feet away from Harry's parents and the Lupin's graves. He touched gingerly the black stone thinking about the woman who could be his godmother if the life didn't cruelly tore her away from Sirius. This was the place of hers and hers and Sirius's unborn son eternal rest … the place where Sirius's headstone should be.

In that moment he realised that even if there was no body to bury since the veil took away not only Sirius's soul but also his body this should be the place where Sirius should be buried. Together with his beloved girl and son, next to his friends … and little Sadalsuud even if he didn't lived to get his name on his mother's headstone should be mentioned too.

"Harry," he felt Hermione's gentle hand on his shoulder. "What is it about this headstone?" she asked gently as she knelt next to him.

"This is Sirius's girlfriend's headstone. The place she and their unborn son Sadalsuud are buried," Harry whispered. "Where Sirius should be buried. I know …" his voice broke down for a moment. "I know that there is no body to … to bury. But this is the place where he should be buried … the place where all his beloved ones are buried. Everybody knows that he is … dead … but … we never gave him a proper funeral," he said slowly, pausing to swallow the lump which gathered in his throat and failing miserably.

"We will give him a proper funeral, Harry," Hermione whispered and she hugged him tightly. "We will write his and his sons name on the stone along with hers. You are going to have his grave to visit."

He raised his head to look at her. She was smiling, not widely; her smile was gentle and comforting.

"Look," she whispered and she pointed at little Teddy who was crawling to Andromeda's and Ted's grave which was standing right behind Lupin's grave with a bouquet in his little hands, actually he was dragging the bouquet with his right hand holding firmly on one of the lilies.

Harry smiled through the tears and he quickly picked up the kid. Andromeda's and Ted's grave was made from plain granite like Lupin's was. The inscription was simple and read:

_Ted Tonks, born 1953, died 1997_

_Andromeda Tonks, born 1953, died 1999_

_Beloved parents and grandparents. Always remembered._

He laid the bouquet on the grave and smiled sadly at the inscription. Oh, how he wished to have Andromeda and Ted back as well with Remus and Tonks. They would do better with Teddy who deserved to have his parents and grandparents alive.

But they were dead and they weren't coming back and he, Harry, was the one left in charge of little Ted 'Teddy' Remus Lupin. He could only hope that one day Teddy would grow into the wizard all four of them wanted him to grow up and he vowed to himself that he would do it. He would make all four of them proud with Teddy.

After giving a small nod to Andromeda's and Ted's grave Harry came back to his parents grave and picked up from their bouquet three single white lilies. With flowers and Teddy in hand he approached Mirzam's grave, knelt in front of it and laid the flowers on her headstone. They didn't have an additional bouquet for her so until next time these three flowers (representing her, Sadie and Sirius) were supposed to do for now.

He returned to his parents' grave to pick up the bouquet for Snape when he heard Dudley's surprised voice and saw him pointing at something which was behind Harry's back, "I think that you should see it, Harry. Turn around."

He turned around slowly and was utterly surprised to see Regulus. He was still wearing the clothes he had when he visited Harry and his face looked the same but there was one feature Harry didn't see in his dream. Regulus had wings, big, white wings with long feathers.

"Impressive, don't you think, kiddo?" Regulus snickered and he pointed at his feathery attachment. "Took a while to get used to them but I tell you it's better than Quidditch."

"You are an angel," Harry mumbled. "But I thought…"

"You don't have to believe in God to have a guardian angel," Regulus said and then at the look on their faces he added. "What do you honestly think that being dead is about leading a happy and lazy life in afterlife? It's funny for about a century but after some time you get bored with it."

"But you haven't been dead for a century," Hermione reasoned.

"Yeah, I'm dead for about twenty years but when I was given a choice of what I was supposed to do with my afterlife between deciding to spend some time with my family and taking upon angel guardianship I chose the latter, far more challenging, especially with my protégé," Regulus chuckled.

"You were Snape's guardian angel," Hermione whispered.

"You are wrong my dear Amariel," Regulus snickered and once again at the look on their faces he had to explain himself. "Never read Lord of the Rings? Man you are so in nineteen century. Amariel is elfish version of the name Hermione and it suits you just as much as Shakespearian version."

"So you weren't Snape's guardian angel," Harry reasoned.

"Wrong once again," Regulus shook his head. "You are a guardian angel as long as your protégé is alive. I'm still Severus Snape's guardian angel. What? Do you think that your own guardian angel would allow you to see Severus in your dream if he was dead?"

"But I saw him dying," Harry whispered.

"You are quarrelling with a higher being which knows thing you know not while my protégé is about to die. As much as I would love to reason with you about dead and other stuff I suggest saving Sevie when he is still alive, barely, but still alive," Regulus quipped.

Harry looked at Hermione and Dudley stupidly, they were just as much shocked as he was. He saw Snape dying and so did Hermione but if Regulus was saying that Snape was alive then someone had to be wrong and for Snape's sake it would better if it was them and not Regulus.

Harry immediately drew his wand and vanished the soil from the front of the grave. He quickly peered down into the hole in the ground. Feeling utterly stupid he slid into the hole and vanished the top of the casket.

He came face to face with Snape's wide frightened black eyes.

* * *

**Awaiting criticism - like always. I'm replying as long as you leave me your email or you log in while reviewing. Bring my ego down ;) Everything is appreciated and taken into consideration.  
**

_Ah, my favourite feathery nuisance made an appearence and he brought some light ... and more problems. So who is right and who is wrong? Mr Feathery Nuisance or Harry and Hermione? If you think hard you will realise to whom Regulus refers as Harry's guardian angel even if he doesn't mentiones that person by the name. The Malfoys, well Harry saved them from Azkaban after the final battle and the idea of them having a dinner together with Harry and Hermione isn't very far fetched, look at the situation from their point of view considering the events of last few chapters._

**Next chapter:** We will learn who was right and who was wrong and how it impacts on everything which had happened to this point. Harry is taught a lesson about forgivness between Narcissa's mad sheming and getting sick (once again).


	7. Chapter 7: Slytherins

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or anything what you can recognize from the books. I do however own the plot of this story but I don't have profits because of it unless you count improving my English as a profit.

**Preview:** The skeleton gets out from the closet - or I should say, coffin. Harry still suffers from his saving people complex and it hurts him. We get to now more about Snape. Mirzam makes an appearence and puts Harry in very tricky position.

**So** **_read, enjoy and review (because I love to read your criticism and as long as you are logged in or I have your email I'm answering to your questions)._**

_For now my beta has problems with her computer so this chapter is unbeta read but as soon as possible it will be edited._

* * *

**Chapter seven: Slytherins.**

"Potter," Snape whispered weakly.

"Nuh huh," Regulus quipped from above. "My job is done, you will do fine. See you around Harrykins."

"Hey, where are you going?" Harry called out after him.

"He's gone," Hermione said.

"Don't worry I will find him and I will give him an earful worth…" he paused because he realised that he was about to say 'an earful worth Snape' but with Snape lying in the casket it seemed plain rude thing to do. "… worth an angel with freakish sense of humour," he finished grimly before he turned to Snape and asked, "How are you feeling professor?"

"Like I was run by a herd of Hippogriffs and mauled by a basilisk," Snape mumbled.

"Gather the kids," Harry called out and he slowly approached Snape's head. "I will be upstairs in a moment."

Inside the grave there was hardly a room to move much but somehow Harry managed to get his arms around Snape's shoulders and under his knees.

"What the hell…" Snape started.

"Later," Harry mumbled and he apparated them out of the grave.

As soon as he was standing on the ground Hermione flicked her wand at the grave and all soil came back to its place, with another flick of the wand the grave looked like it was untouched by grave robbers.

"Take the kids and get the car," Harry said quickly. "I'll be right behind you."

Hermione and Dudley nodded and quickly grabbed two toddlers before they hurried in the direction of their car.

"Put me down Potter," Snape muttered. "That's an order."

"I will put you down when we get to the car. I'm the one with authority here so I will be the judge of how much you can move," Harry said quickly as he started walking after Hermione and Dudley. "You might take as much points from Gryffindor as you want but I'm not setting you down until someone with medical knowledge is going to check you up."

Snape was still protesting for a moment but with each step Harry took his protests got weaker and by the time they finally reached the car they died completely.

"He is unconscious," Dudley said when he and Harry put Snape in the car.

"If we take him to St Mungo he will be killed on sight," Hermione said from behind the wheel.

"There is a muggle hospital about fifteen minutes away from Godric's Hollow. Drive to the north," Harry said quickly as he sat down in passenger seat in the front. "Dudley watch his pulse. It would be stupid if he survived being buried alive for fifteen months just to die on the way to hospital."

After they reached hospital Harry promised himself to never let Hermione drive the car as fast as she drove it that day. Quickly he scoped Snape into his arms and ran into emergency room.

"I need help," he called out.

"What happened?" asked young nurse at the desk.

'Think, idiot, think. You can't tell them that he had been bitten by poisonous snake which was supposed to kill him and had been buried alive for fifteen months,' he thought to himself.

"My father had collapsed," he breathed out quickly. "My wife and I recently discovered him in his house."

"Name?" she asked quickly.

"Severus Snape. That's his name. Mine is Harry," Harry said quickly.

"Take him to exam room number two, doctors will be there in a second, Mr Snape," the nurse said.

Harry wasted no time in doing what she told him to do and he quickly got to exam room number two. He lied Snape on the table and let the doctors usher him away to the waiting room where Hermione and Dudley were already waiting for him with the boys.

"They are taking care of him," Harry breathed out as he fell into a chair next to Hermione.

"Here, this is his insurance," Hermione handed Harry a card. "You are also supposed to fill in his medical record."

"What I'm supposed to write in it?" he asked her quietly.

"You will come with something. You know heart attacks, pneumonias, this kind of stuff," Hermione said.

He was about to start filling the paperwork when he heard a call coming from exam room number two, "We need ten measures of 0 negative."

"We only have six," called the nurse. "The car with the blood will come in two hours."

"He won't live this two hours!" called the doctor. "He practically doesn't have blood on his own."

"We are 0 negative," Dudley said quickly.

"Me too," Hermione said.

"Then come here," called the doctor. "The nurse will take care of the kids. And call the helicopter."

Harry shuddered when he entered the exam room number two for the second time. Half-naked, connected to lots of beeping monitors Snape was pitiful sight.

"He practically doesn't have any blood on his own left. His bone marrow isn't working. He needs to be taken to London to have a bone marrow transplantation, they are the best. You, as his son, are the most likely match. The helicopter will take you to London," said the doctor.

Bone marrow. That triggered something in Harry's memory. Wasn't this something which was discussed in his dream he had last night?

He nodded quickly.

"We will also need blood from two of you, Mrs and Mr Snape. We have are going to use these we were left with it but in the helicopter your father will need a transfusion. They should be coming in about fifteen minutes. We will give them the blood we were left with but till then he is going to be use your blood," said the doctor gravely.

"Do you know what had happened to him?" Hermione asked calmly.

"Leukunemia, extremely quickly acting. I never saw anything like that in all my life. If we don't do bone marrow transplantation in a matter of two days your father is most likely going to die," the doctor's voice was extremely serious.

"I should be the best match," Harry whispered.

"We will take a sample of bone marrow of all four of you," said the doctor. "We will send it with you by the helicopter. If you are matching hopefully by tomorrow evening the doctors will perform surgery."

* * *

"Mr Snape, huh?" Hermione breathed out when they were finally left in peace by the doctors.

Snape was taken to radiology where the doctors were supposed to kill his own bone marrow and prepare him for surgery.

"Seemed the most logical explanation," Harry sighed heavily. "But once I'm going to get my hands on this feathery ass he is going to regret playing with me. Seriously couldn't he come sooner?"

"I have no idea," Hermione sighed. "I will go now. You are supposed to stay for the night for transplantation, Mr Perfect Match and few days for the recovery. I will bring you some stuff as soon as I can."

"Take care," Harry gave her small smile.

"Don't worry, I will," Hermione said and kissed him on the check. "I'll be back in about two hours."

* * *

He was allowed to see Snape in his room after ridiculous amount aseptic procedures. Of course he knew that lack of immunity wasn't something ridiculous, it was absolutely necessary but he still felt a bit stupid when he walked into Snape's room with a mask on his face and protective suit and shoes.

He sat down next on the chair next to still unconscious man and sighed heavily. Damn Regulus and his feathery ass. Why he couldn't have say something sooner? Why he had to wait fifteen bloody months to tell someone that Snape wasn't dead? Also what kind of incompetent dunderhead was doing examination of Snape's body after the battle?

"I'm dead?" came weak question from the bed.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you but you are very much alive," Harry replied with relief.

"Potter," Snape mumbled. "I should have knew."

"Me and my saving people complex," Harry smiled even if Snape couldn't see his smile through the mask.

"Why I'm not dead? And why I was in the grave?" Snape asked weakly.

"Because some incompetent dunderhead in examination rooms in St Mungo's declared you dead without checking if you were really dead. Once I will get my hands on him or her they would wish to have Voldemort after them," Harry said simply.

"Is he dead?" Snape asked curiously.

"Very much so," Harry nodded. "For good. Has been for about fifteen months."

"And I spent these fifteen months in a coffin?" Snape snorted.

"Well if you want to blame someone, blame Regulus Black and his feathery ass. If I had him as my guardian angel I would be dead before I reached my first birthday," Harry chuckled.

"I find more interesting how I managed to survive fifteen months in a coffin under the ground. What Black and his feathery ass is supposed to do with me?" Snape muttered.

"According to him, he is your guardian angel. Kind of shitty one if you ask me," Harry sighed. "As for miraculous surviving Hermione came with a theory. Niagini's venom was supposed to kill you but something had to happen and instead of dying you ended in very deep coma, so deep that you were declared dead. For some reason Niagini's venom prevented you from producing your own blood and what little was left in your body could have caused the coma. Currently you are in a muggle hospital in London recovering from bone marrow transplantation courtesy to your son," Harry explained.

"I don't have a son. Trust me I would know something about it, Potter," Snape snorted weakly.

"I know that you don't have a son," Harry snickered. "But what I was supposed to tell to the doctors. That you were attacked by gigantic poisonous snake and spent fifteen months in a coffin? They would lock me up in a mental ward before I would had a chance to yelp, 'Help!'. Hermione checked you up and it seems that the transplantation is working. We will know more by tomorrow but for now the bone marrow started producing blood and you will be as good as new before you will realise it," he added.

"Why not St Mungo?" Snape asked. "Weasley lived through the bite."

"Because not many people are believing that you are the man of the light. Sure the Ministry is aware of your true loyalty but not many people believe it. If we took you to St Mungo's there was very strong possibility that you will be killed on sight," Harry explained. "And that would be stupid because you didn't lived through being buried alive just to be killed by people who were supposed to save your life."

"Surprisingly logical explanation," Snape snorted. "Also explains why I feel like I was used as a chew toy for Hagrid's Hippogriffs."

"I feel that pain," Harry muttered. "The transplantation one, I mean. Hurts like hell even if it was only taking of the bone marrow."

"Muggles are barbaric," Snape snorted. "There isn't a chance that I'm going to get some pain relieving potion?"

"You are on morphine drip," Harry said. "I can tell them to up the dose. You have to be careful to don't get knocked out with it. It can kill you."

"Why I should live when I'm not welcomed in wizarding world anymore?" Snape muttered.

"Out of pure spite?" Harry asked. "Besides it's only a temporary hostility. Being the Boy Who Lived and Didn't Died certainly has its perks."

"Who had died?" Snape asked suddenly.

"From Death Eaters Dolohow and Rookwood. Vincent Crabbe died while destroying one of Voldemort's Horcruxes, of course he did it unintentionally and stupidly used Fiendfyre, tried to kill us but he ended dead in the process. From our side of these whose names ring a bell in my head, Colin Creevey, Fred Weasley and…" he paused to take a deep breath. "Remus and Tonks."

"Dear Merlin," Snape sighed heavily. "So short after their son was born," and when Harry stared stupidly at him he added. "What? I checked records book and saw Ted Remus Lupin. What happened to him?"

"Andromeda was taking care of him," Harry sighed.

"Was?" Snape whispered. "As if she isn't taking care of him now?"

"She was killed in June by Bellatrix when the latter escaped from Azkaban with Rodolphus and Rastaban. Teddy is living with his godfather," Harry said.

"Whom?" Snape asked.

"Me," Harry confirmed quietly.

"He was one of these kids at the graveyard, wasn't he?" Snape asked quietly.

"The more colourful one. The other one was my cousin's son, Duncan," Harry said with a smile.

"I hope that the Lestranges are back in Azkaban," Snape muttered.

"Rodolphus and Rastaban are," Harry sighed.

"Bellatrix?" Snape asked weakly.

"Six feet underground," Harry answered.

"Who killed her? I want to shake his or hers hand for getting rid of the bitch," Snape asked curiously.

"Do you really want it?" Harry chuckled. "You don't like this person."

"Dragon dung. Everyone who killed Dark Lord's mad bitch deserves a recognition," Snape snorted.

"As if killing Voldemort wasn't enough," Harry chuckled.

"You killed her?" Snape asked surprised.

"She killed Andromeda, killed Hermione's parents and threatened Hermione and Teddy. She tried to kill me and Hermione too and almost succeed. I hope that she actually saw the gravest mistake in her killing before she died. Hermione thinks that she did," Harry said lividly.

"What killed her?" Snape asked. "Piece of furniture?"

"Killing Curse," Harry said simply. "My first ever."

"Made you feel better?" Snape asked.

"No," Harry confirmed. "In fact made me feel like shit but Sirius told me that dealing with it is easier with time."

"For the record, your godfather had been dead for three years," Snape said quickly. "Unless either he came back to life and you managed to die after killing Bellatrix there is no way for you two to have a talk about it."

"Actually there is," Harry chuckled. "I'm a freak of nature. I survived Killing Curse twice, killed Voldemort with a Disarming Spell, I can to turn into Sirius at the moments of greatest anger while not having Metamorphomagi abilities, in my dreams I'm reaching to dead people and we are talking about everyday stuff. Plus, by some sort of a miracle I managed to survive getting hit by a double-decker, in fact I almost died but Sirius and Mr Black, Sirius's father, set me straight about dying at young age. I don't want to spend the rest of my afterlife at running away from my godfather."

"Regulus?" Snape asked.

"Feathery nuisance but if he lived he could rival Dumbledore with his level of cryptic and veiled replies," Harry snickered. "I still can't believe than he didn't told me sooner. Once I will get my hands on him he is going to be very watchful about his Gryffindor's comments."

"What did he said about Gryffindor?" Snape asked curiously.

"That we can't see logic even if it's dancing in front of us in a pink tutu," Harry chuckled.

"What happened to the Malfoys?" asked Snape suddenly.

"Dinner," Harry snickered. "Merlin's pants, they were supposed to come around today," Harry smacked his forehead with the back of his hand.

"Here?" Snape mumbled.

"No. To Grimmauld Place," Harry replied quickly. "I hope that Hermione remembered."

"Last time I checked you were dating Ms Weasley," Snape snorted.

"Last time I checked I was an Auror bringing up my lycanthropic, Metamorphomagi godson and Ginny was still stuck in her childhood crush," Harry quipped. "I don't feel like waiting for her to grow up."

"Took you long enough to realise it," Snape snorted. "Seeing smart girls going after gits with big egos is pitiful. Seeing manipulative girls with their petite childish crushes going after men who don't fit into their perfect picture of a knight in shining armour is even more pitiful. I promised the rest of the staff that if I heard someone saying how much like your parents you two are I will poison the one who said it with the most powerful poison I had in my stock. Finally learned that the chit was using Love Potions on you?"

"What?" Harry yelped.

"So you didn't," Snape muttered. "Slughorn's Love Potions stock was constantly ridded through your sixth year at Hogwarts. Not to mention the WWW Love Potions. During that year there was more Love Potions running around than through all my career as a teacher. By the end of September I had to have two cauldrons of antidotes every day given in food but it still seemed that some people managed to go past the antidote."

At that Harry literally fumed. How she dared to use Love Potions on him? It was a step away from using Imperious on a person.

"I feel that I need to remind you that killing someone lands you in Azkaban for life. You want to see your godson growing up, don't you?" Snape asked ironically.

"I used to pity the Weasleys that she ran away after I kicked her and Ron out from Grimmauld Place but now I see that it was good riddance," Harry snorted.

"You kicked them out? Merlin you had changed," Snape snorted.

"Do you really want to hear the whole story?" Harry asked ironically.

"I'm bedridden. Entertain me," Snape snickered.

"It all started when the Lestranges escaped from Azkaban…" Harry started.

By the time he finished the story with Melvin burning down Ron's request to join the Aurors Snape was chuckling maniacally though Harry kept that part when he became a Black to himself.

"Campbell's Law, that was priceless," Snape snorted at the end of it.

"I felt sorry for him. He really wanted to be an Auror," Harry snorted and looked through the glass wall in Snape's room at the corridor outside it. "The Malfoys are coming this way."

"If they are here for me, tell them that I died," Snape muttered and quickly covered himself with the coverlet over his head.

Harry chuckled silently and then he heard a knock on the glass wall. He looked up in this direction and saw Hermione and Dudley with the boys standing next to the three Malfoys.

He looked down at Snape who still had the coverlet over his head and shook his head. He quickly gestured to the visitors outside that the man was sleeping and slowly left the room.

"How are you feeling?" Hermione asked as soon as he left the room through the barrier of two separate doors.

"A bit mauled but still better than Snape," Harry answered truthfully. Snape was on morphine drip and Harry only got one shot in the morning but Harry was healthy and Snape was not. "I'm supposed to tell you that he is dead," he said to the Malfoys. "Though it was him saying it so he really isn't dead, just not in mood for your visit, yet. I think that he will need some recovery time to proceed everything which had happened in last year and half."

"There is a cafeteria downstairs," Hermione said. "We can wait for him to recover there, plus you might be needed to explain the whole bone marrow stuff. I read as much as I could about it but between taking care of Teddy and keeping Mrs Weasley away from Grimmauld I didn't had much time."

"She tried to get in?" Harry asked surprised. "I thought that Kreacher was keeping the Weasleys away from the house."

"They couldn't apparate or floo inside the house after latest lock up but the garden door weren't warded to hold them away. Thankfully the Malfoys showed up before I cursed Mrs and Mr Weasley into next century," Hermione explained.

"One mention about delicious dinner and great company of two young and bright people and they were gone sooner that you can say 'Quidditch'," Lucius chuckled.

"Don't laugh, Mr Malfoy. I might use it as a perfect drive away for them," Hermione giggled. "I'm terribly sorry Mrs Weasley, but we can't talk right now, we are asked to join the Malfoys for lunch today," Hermione said mockingly.

"Use it as much as you want," Lucius waved his hand. "Plus it won't be far away from truth. Considering that we have McGonagall's whole support we are going to spend a lot of time together."

Harry leaned against the wall and sighed tiredly. Sure morphine was working but his leg still hurt like hell.

"I will find you a wheelchair, Harry," Dudley said and he handed Duncan to surprised Draco before he wandered away.

Draco looked stupidly at his parents and Narcissa rolled her eyes before she took Duncan from him. She propped the kid on her hip and smiled at Harry before she asked, "Painkillers aren't working?"

"They are, but Snape is luckier, he is on a morphine drip and I got only a shot in the morning. They tell me that I will get another one after lunch. They don't want me to get addicted," Harry replied simply.

"Why can't you two use potions?" asked Lucius sceptically.

"Because it would mess with pain-relievers and the mixing morphine with potions will kill them both or at least put them in coma. Messing with two different kinds of medical treatments can be very dangerous," Hermione said grimly. "We can't bring Snape to St Mungo for his own safety and as far as I know muggle treatment is working fine. Harry will recover on his own quickly thought after you leave the hospital I'm going to detox you and put on potions for the rest of the month."

"Glad to hear that," Harry sighed.

Finally Dudley arrived with a wheelchair. Harry quickly settled himself in it and let Dudley drive him to the cafeteria.

With a cup of strong sweet tea in front of him he looked at the rest curiously.

"As Lucius said before we have McGonagall's full support in this," said Narcissa as she pulled from her bag a big pile of parchments. "This our most prized possession," she said as she lied her left hand on the pile. "Any children under Hogwarts attendance. Most of them are already split by their parentage, I have Muggle-borns in separate file. I split as much as I could by possible interest of their parents in attending nursery and kindergarten. That narrows the list down to one third of total number, excluding Muggle-borns who are entirely different subject since the approach with them will be very different."

"In total we got about a hundred children between one day and ten years old. Children of the families where both parents are working," said Draco. "Excluding the oldest children which by muggle law are failing into category of…" he paused and looked at Dudley hopefully.

"Primary school," Dudley supplied. "The number goes roughly to fifty children."

"Of course there is also a matter of this children but we will worry about it next year," said Narcissa quickly. "Right now the most important is settling the nursery, kindergarten and infant school."

Harry stared at her stupidly. It seemed that she spent some time at studying Education Act and studying it quite well.

"I already did some estate hunting but it was rejected without as much as a blink," Draco snorted.

"We aren't looking for shop Draco," Narcissa shook her head. "I told you to keep an eye on old schools and orphanages."

"And I did. Not my fault that you are so hard to satisfy, mum," Draco snorted.

"I don't want to cut in too much since I'm not an expert but aren't you," Dudley paused and looked around quickly and when he didn't found anyone around he added, "magical? You can pick any house and expand it."

"Point taken," Harry snickered.

"It's not about the size," Narcissa sighed. "It's about a location. It should be something to which one can get quickly in all kinds of ways, taking Muggle-borns into account. At the same time it should be close to the city centre and far away enough to not end for some people in a traffic."

"Grimmauld Place?" Harry supplied. "It's close to the city centre and far away enough to not get jammed in the traffic. Plus the houses in the neighbourhood are quite big."

"Harry, Harry, Harry," Hermione sighed. "You forget," she looked around quickly, "that you are living in a magical house, a mansion in particular. For any passerby it looks typical muggle four-storey house from outside like the others in the neighbourhood and they are quite cramped despite their four-storeys."

"One word Hermione. Magic," Harry chuckled.

"Lucius, check this today and tomorrow," Narcissa said briskly. "Now we are having another problem. Considering the number of children which might end under our care we need a helping hand. I made a list of possible employees, they are all mothers and grandmothers whose all children are already at Hogwarts or grown up. There is about ten of them," she handed the list to Hermione.

Hermione read the list and shook her head muttering from time to time, 'close minded', 'won't ever agree', 'mad', 'senile' and 'due to be married'.

"From what I know," she said after she lied the list on the table, "Mrs Fawcett is far too old to keep up with active toddlers and little kids. Mrs Digorry will agree when the hell will freeze over and the devils will go skiing. I would never leave a child with Mrs Zabini, she is too creepy for a babysitter. Mrs Richards is far too close minded to take Muggle-borns into account. Last time I checked Elizabeth Proudfoot was due to be married in the fall. Daphne Greengrass could do, she is nice and she frequently babysat children of my colleague. Susan Bones could do too, she likes children and is very nice. Hannah Abbot is a good choice, looks for more challenging job than Flourish and Blotts and she is very keen of little children. Tracey Davis can help to if she agrees. I would also add Mandy Brocklehurst to the list as possible nurse, I talked with her few days ago and she has second degree in healing."

"So we are down to four babysitters and one nurse for about fifty children and that's only children with magical parentage," said Narcissa.

"We can pretty much rule out Muggle-borns out of nursery with few exceptions from the rule as long as someone in their family was magical too like in Dudley's case," Hermione said pensively.

"That takes away about twenty Muggle-borns between one day and three years old," said Narcissa quickly. "And leaves us with thirty between four and seven years old," she added after a moment.

"We can also take into account that some parents won't agree to send their children into the kindergarten due to various reasons," Hermione muttered.

* * *

They parted relatively quickly in the cafeteria with the Malfoys and together with Hermione, Dudley, Teddy and Duncan Harry came back to his hospital room. They stayed with him for a while but they bid their goodbyes after Harry's lunch and shot of morphine which made him sleepy and he dozed off.

When he opened his eyes he was still in his hospital bed but he knew that he was still asleep when he saw his visitor. It was Mirzam. She was wearing long white sleeveless dress, her hair were hanging loosely around her face and her violet eyes were full of kindness.

"Hello Harry," she said with a smile.

"Hey Mirzam," Harry smiled back. "How are Sirius and Sadalsuud?"

"They are fine," Mirzam said cheerfully. "We had his family over for dinner. Orion is very polite and loves Sadie to the bits … but Walburga, Merlin she is a nuisance. Reggie came to, told us that he has a break and that I should come and visit you."

"Had I done something wrong?" Harry asked tentatively.

"No, you didn't," Mirzam snickered. "Don't look at me like I was going to scold you. What you did at the graveyard is very kind," she said gently.

"I didn't knew that you were buried there. If I did I would brought you a bouquet like I did for the rest," Harry said timidly.

"I didn't mean this part Harry," she smiled at him. "Though it's nice to see that someone besides Sirius and Severus remembered about me."

"And what Snape has to do with your grave?" Harry asked curiously. "Did he had feelings for you too?"

"No," Mirzam snickered. "I wasn't his type of a woman. But each 24th and 31st day of the month ever since I, and later Lily, died in the late evening Severus was visiting our graves. He always brought orange lilies for Lily, she loved them very much and irises for me."

"Why?" Harry asked curiously and he propped himself on the bed.

"Because he thinks that he has our blood on his hands, Harry," Mirzam sighed heavily. "And in a way he is right," she scratched the bridge of her nose. "You know how I died?" she asked sadly.

"You were killed by Bellatrix, with Sectumsepra, but you were raped before you died," Harry said quietly remembering Sirius's memory of that day.

"No," Mirzam shook her head sadly. "I was kidnapped by Bellatrix, she left me at Spinner's End, in Severus's house. Dolohov and Rookwood were visiting him when Bellatrix brought me there. Severus was still a Death Eater back then … the change came later, Harry. He let them have some fun with me," she paused and shuddered. "When they left … I begged him to let me go. I pleaded with everything I had for it. I even offered him an oath, that if he sets me free and lets me give birth to my son I would come back to him and I will let him kill me."

"No," Harry whispered in shock.

"Yes," Mirzam said sadly. "But he didn't listened. He used the spell and let me bleed to death even if I told him before that I was seventh week pregnant."

Harry said nothing, he just couldn't.

"Few weeks later," Mirzam continued, "he learned that Voldemort was coming after Lily, because of the prophecy. He begged him for her life … but Voldemort would have nothing of it. He came back to Spinner's End and saw a bloodstain on the carpet … that's when everything had changed for him."

"How? I always thought that it was because of mum," Harry whispered.

"Yes, mostly his change was about Lily," Mirzam nodded slowly. "But then, in that moment he saw the bloodstain he realised how killing me and my unborn son impacted on Lily and you. If I lived and gave birth to Sadie he would be born at the end of July. He would be a third boy of the prophecy. Voldemort saw as a threat the child who like him was a half-blood, Harry. Sirius was a pure-blood, like James was. I was a Muggle-born, like Lily. Voldemort wouldn't go after the Longbottoms till the last resort. If we lived the chance that Voldemort would go after your parents was cut in half and him going after us was more probable than him going after your parents. In Voldemort's eyes the Blacks had more of a value than the Potters, he would go firstly after us."

"And when you died…" Harry whispered.

"When I died, there wasn't a third boy of the prophecy and the chances of Voldemort going after your parents had doubled," Mirzam nodded and after she sighed she added. "Severus thought, that by killing me … he for the second time, since he learned the prophecy and told it to Voldemort, signed death warrant on Lily. That though was terrifying and it send him to Dumbledore. Ever since then, each month on 24th on my grave could be found irises."

"Do you hate him?" Harry asked quietly. "Did Sirius knew?"

"Sirius didn't knew until he died. As for Severus, no, I don't hate him," she smiled sadly. "You know what erases the guilt of a murderer, Harry?" she asked quietly.

"Remorse," Harry whispered.

"Remorse, very deep, very meaningful remorse, Harry," she nodded. "At first it was mostly about Lily but as time passed his remorse was about me and Sadalsuud only. I remember that once after Voldemort came back he came to my grave and talked about Sirius and how much he wanted to tell Sirius that it was him, not Bellatrix, who killed me and when he told him the truth he would let Sirius do the same thing to him."

"He would let Sirius kill him?" Harry gasped.

"If it wasn't for the war, yes, he would let Sirius kill him," Mirzam said sadly. "That's the deepest remorse of all and ever since then he is completely forgiven. Now, you know where to find him when he will run away. Tell him that I'm not holding it against him, he is completely forgiven and I wish him to be find his place in life and be happy. Thank you for thinking about Sirius's headstone, you need it just as much as he does."

She smiled at Harry one last time and she vanished.

* * *

Harry didn't mentioned his conversation with Mirzam to anyone. He wracked his head about it for whole next week. He still talked with Snape, but he keep Mirzam's words to himself. He thought that neither he nor Snape were ready to talk about it. The Malfoys visited them frequently and it was only yesterday when Snape allowed them to visit his room. That's when he learned that Harry became a Black. The look of sheer terror on Snape's face made Harry laugh.

Harry was supposed to leave the hospital after lunch on 24th August and he decided to finally have a talk with Snape about Mirzam's death. He walked out from his room and headed to Snape's room down the corridor when he saw the commotion. He quickened his pace and reached the doctors talking with very angry Hermione and surprised Malfoys.

"How could you get lost a patient without a immune system?" Hermione was berating nearest nurse with a huff which made all people flinch. "He may die because of your incompetence!" she shrieked.

_Now you know where to find him when he runs away_, Mirzam's voice echoed in his brain. He quickly turned around and walked to his room. He locked the door and pulled down the blinds before he disapparated.

He apparated straight to the graveyard in Godric's Hollow just past the gates and quickly headed in the direction of his parents grave. As he expected he saw Snape's hunched form sitting in front of Mirzam's grave. Quietly he approached older man and stopped behind him. Snape was wearing only the hospital gown and despite the warmth of the morning sun he was shivering.

Very quietly Harry took of his own dressing gown and as he knelt next to the older man he wrapped it around Snape's shoulders. Snape didn't even look in his direction but nevertheless he pulled the dressing gown tighter around himself. Harry put his left arm around his shoulders and sighed heavily, he was hoping to have this discussion in a warmer place.

"How did you found me?" Snape asked quietly after a long moment of silence.

"Mirzam told me that I can find you here," Harry said truthfully. "She came to warn me that you will be trying to run away on 24th last week."

"You talked with her," that was the statement, not a question. "You knew that she was pregnant with his child."

"Seventh week," Harry nodded. "Sirius loves him to the bits. He is happy with them … in afterlife."

"I…" Snape started quietly.

"I know," Harry gripped his shoulders tightly. "Mirzam told me, everything."

Snape huddled himself into even more tighter ball.

"She wanted me to tell you that she forgave you and that she wishes you to find your place in life and be happy," Harry said gently.

"She can't mean it," Snape muttered, his voice was muffled by his hands.

"She does," Harry whispered. "She really does."

"I was never happy man and I only destroyed happiness of other people. When I learned that she was pregnant … with his child…" Snape whispered. "There it was … a perfect revenge. I've meet him on many occasions before, he was great dueller and the price on his head was very high. He didn't cared about his own hide, never … and taking away his girl and his child…" Snape paused to take a deep breath. "I had a nerve to come to her funeral … but not enough to reveal myself. Your parents were standing with him, from their faces I guessed that they didn't knew whom she was to him, as long as they were by his side he was calm, collected, emotionless … but when they had gone… When everyone besides me and him left … he fell apart. He threw himself at the ground, bawling out, yelling until he lost his voice…" Snape shuddered visibly. "That's when I saw it… as clear as glass. For a moment it wasn't him standing there and it wasn't her grave. It was me … lying on the grave of your mother, like him yelling until I no longer had a voice and I… I loathed myself … I loathed him and back then even for a moment I wouldn't hesitate to kill him … He tried to kill me … so it would be only fair. I told myself that we were square, he tried to take my life so I took away his. But that day … at this grave … I saw it … Before she died, he was like Moody, with a deathly aim but always fair, never before he used Unforgivables until he really had to use them. After she died … he wasn't merciful anymore … he was enraged … killed three Death Eaters without as much as a blink in one hour and never for once showed remorse for it. He acted like the world had died with her."

"Because his world had died with her," Harry whispered.

"I taunted him whenever I had an occasion to do it," Snape whispered. "I wanted him to kill me, for killing her. I never had enough of courage to tell him that straight … until the day before he died. I promised myself that next day I would come to him and tell him what I did. But I never did…" Snape mumbled.

"Because he died," Harry whispered.

"But the guilt remained," Snape whispered. "I could have been basking in his death, the fact that he was gone … but I couldn't. He was gone, so was my chance for redeeming her death. At nights I kept imagining their son, the kid whose life I took along with his mother. I wonder if his eyes would be like his or hers … She was looking straight through me when she was dying … I kept seeing her eyes for years … taunting me … accusing me … begging me … to let her live for her son … and I… I never allowed her. I should have … but I didn't."

"Sadalsuud has his mother's eyes and hair," Harry whispered. "But in face he is a perfect mixture of them both."

"Sadalsuud," Snape whispered. "Happiness of happy people. Such a … fitting name. I wish that I allowed her to live, that I allowed him to live… That all of them lived instead of me."

"You can't be saying that," Harry gripped Snape's shoulders tightly. "You could have died but for some reasons you lived."

"I lived when these who deserved it more are here," Snape pointed at the graves around them with his left hand. "Dead … buried. Parents who never had a chance to bring up their children. Grandparents taken away from their grandchild. Children who never had a chance to grow up. They deserve to live … I don't."

"Everybody deserves to live," Harry said and brought the older man closer to his chest. "You deserve to be happy, you deserve to let old demons go, you deserve to have a family who cares about you."

"My parents never cared … only Lily…" Snape chocked out. "I can't picture my family life without her. She is gone and I'm just as much responsible for her death as Voldemort … I will never have a family."

Harry sighed heavily and for a moment looked at Mirzam's headstone. That's when he saw them. His mum and Mirzam. They were the same height, their hair had similar length though they were different in colour and texture. Almond-shaped eyes, green and violet in colour. They were smiling gently at him and for a moment they looked at each other. They smiled again and then Lily lied her hand on her heart and Mirzam made a motion like she was embracing someone.

"You are my family," Harry whispered without looking at Snape but at two women in front of him who smiled widely. "I can be your son you never had and you can be father I always needed. If you allow it," he said and he looked down at Snape.

"For years…" Snape chocked out. "For years when I saw you I kept thinking that … you could be my son if I wasn't so stupid and I was angry when I saw more of … James and later … B … Sirius in you than Lily. Until that day I almost died."

"They are all a part of me," Harry said quietly. "This will never change. I miss them all. I miss not getting to know them …"

"There you are!" Harry heard Hermione's irritated voice from behind. "I swear that if you pull another stunt like that you will spend the rest of your lives knitting socks grounded at home! To run away from hospital like that. You are lucky that I managed to find a way to improve the recovery of the transplanted bone marrow."

Harry turned his head to look at her. She was positively fuming.

"Now I'm apparating you to Grimmauld and if one of you dares to flinch when given their potions I will have the delinquent in a whole body bind until I'm pleased with your state of health. Pyjamas! Seriously!" she fumed as she approached them and unceremoniously grabbed them by the shoulders.

Before Harry realised what had happened they were standing in Regulus's old bedroom. Hermione, still fuming like an irritated dragon, lead Snape to the bed and covered him with a thick coverlet.

"If you even twitch in the direction of the door I will have you in a body bind," she told Snape harshly before she turned to Harry, "And you are going to stay here until I'm back with his potions, then you are going to your own bed with a Pepper Up potion. Pyjamas, do you wanted to catch pneumonia?" she huffed and disapparated.

"I can see who wears trousers in this relationship," Snape chuckled weakly.

"If there was any," Harry snickered, "she would be wearing them. Last time she was that angry at me was when I locked her up here after Andromeda had died."

Hermione had came back with the trail full of various potions and had Snape drinking all of them as she was standing at the head of his bed, tapping her left foot impatiently until Snape had drunk the contest of last vial.

Then Hermione turned around to face Harry and pointed at the door. Without a protest Harry went to Sirius's bedroom and settled himself on the bed. After a big vial of Pepper Up Potion which Hermione thrust into his hands he fell asleep.

* * *

Next morning he woke up to someone shaking his shoulder. He blinked few times to clear the remains of sleep from his eyes and was surprised to see Narcissa Malfoy standing at his bedside.

"Hermione told me to check upon you," Narcissa said swiftly. "Severus caught pneumonia during the night and she wants to make sure that you are healthy yourself before she will let you see him."

He wanted to tell her that he was fine and that he should be out of the bed in five minutes but as he opened his mouth to say it he sneezed violently.

"That's an answer to my question. I will tell Hermione to tell Poppy Pomfrey that you are sick too. Seriously, two grown up man acting like four years old running away in their pyjamas," Narcissa sighed heavily. "I'll be back with Pepper Up after I will see Hermione," she said before she turned on her heel and left the room.

Madam Pomfrey had arrived fifteen minutes later with a big bag full of potions. She made Harry drink five various of them and told him to not leave the bed until tomorrow. After she left after checking upon Snape Harry spent good ten minutes at snickering when Draco told him Snape's reaction to Pomfrey's visit. It turned out that after all there was someone who Snape actually feared and that was old matron.

By next morning Hermione let him leave his bed and had him come down to the kitchen where Narcissa was bossing around three house-elves, save Kreacher who was finishing preparing the breakfast at the stove. Lucius was engrossed in today's edition of the Daily Prophet and Draco who was sitting next to him was engrossed in a discussion with Dudley over something.

"Certainly not this material, Gabby," Narcissa shook her head at one of the house-elves. "It can give grown men nightmares and we are speaking about kids here. Just plain colours for linens, the variety of colours from dark blue to pale pink. Hippy, tell the idiot that the kitchen is supposed to be painted sunny yellow, not dirty beige. Tuppi, tell them that I asked for different wallpaper. Dismissed all of you," she told to them and when they disappeared she turned to Harry. "Good day, Harry, slept well?"

"I used to sleep better but that was expected after getting sick," Harry admitted and he fell on the nearest chair. Kreacher immediately handed him a big cup of coffee, "Thank you Kreacher. How is the nursery and kindergarten?"

"They are doing the last touches," Lucius said without tearing his eyes from the newspaper. "The plumbing was done when you were at hospital together with changing the floorboards and windows. Hermione scared living daylight out of architect when he suggested the dungeons in the basement."

"I preferred her whacking the chief of the builders with a pipe for lazing during work. Kept poor sod running away around the house for half of hour with Teddy in her left arm and pipe in her right," Draco snickered.

"That was before she threw a hissy fit over the widows," Dudley added. "They brought us wrong windows and she had them changing them the same day after tongue lashing at the man who owns that establishment that after a stunt like that they will never find clients when she is done with them."

"That's because we have a lot to do in a matter of very short time," Hermione said with an irritation as she walked into the kitchen with Snape leaning on her arm. "Did you called the girls Cissy?"

"Yes and they all confirmed it," Narcissa said. "I also talked with Mrs Diggory and she agreed to help us, as long as Amos is around. As we speak she is doing interview with the bug about the nursery and kindergarten, she is going to help the girls and boys here with talking to the parents of Muggle-borns. Oh, and Augusta Longbottom and her grandson confirmed their help too. They will join the rest of the them after lunch because Neville has a meeting at Hogwarts right now and Augusta is doing the shopping."

"What about the carpets?" Hermione asked swiftly.

"They brought the right ones, this time. The topmost floors are already prepared, save for the beds which we are going to pick before lunch. The bathrooms are getting finishing touches but the playing area has problem with wallpaper. Plus you need to throw a hissy fit at the gardener, the tree ended on the other side of the garden than we planned and he refuses to put it where it should end," Narcissa explained.

"I'm seeing the man about cribs after lunch. Before I go there I will send you the car with newest diapers. Seriously why can't we use normal diapers?" Lucius sighed and he put the newspaper away.

"Because they are easier to take care of and they are more children friendly than the old ones," Hermione explained.

"Waste of money," Lucius snorted.

"I would like you to say it after washing up ten diapers without house-elves help," Hermione huffed. "They are easier to dispose and they aren't that much expensive, plus they are far more comfortable for a kid."

"True," Dudley agreed. "Speaking from self experience, I know that old diapers needs lots of work and the house-elves are already in charge of cooking and keeping the area clean. Two of them is far too little."

"There are three of them," Harry observed.

"Tuppi came from the McMillans, the whole family, except Ernie, left for holidays and I asked them if they could lend a house-elf, since they are having five of them and four would be doing fine on their own in the manor. Grace was so kind to let Tuppi help us with arranging the kindergarten," Narcissa said quickly.

"I will make sure that these four are going to eat something and we can leave," Hermione said briskly. "I trust that having an eye for the boys and professor Snape won't be too hard for you?" she turned to Harry.

After the breakfast all of them, except Harry and Snape, left. Harry gave Snape his dose of potions Hermione left for him and after bringing Snape back to the bed he spent better part of the morning at playing with Duncan and Teddy.

At eleven o'clock he got a Patronus, the doe which reminded Harry his mother, from Snape who asked him to bring the boys up to his room because he was bored out of his mind.

To Harry's utmost horror before Harry stepped into Snape's bedroom he realised that Teddy changed his hair into curly, jet black and his eyes to violet. He looked almost like little Sadalsuud and Harry feared Snape's reaction to that look. Gingerly Harry sat two boys on Snape's bed and watched the man carefully as he sat down in the foot of the bed.

Snape seemed to zone out for a moment before he gently picked up Teddy and sat him on his knees, Duncan immediately crawled to him and Snape moved Teddy a bit to make room for Duncan.

"They are handful, aren't they?" Snape asked gently.

"Teddy is, Duncan is a bit calmer though," Harry chuckled.

"The full moon is tomorrow. Do you have Wolfsbane Potion?" Snape enquired carefully.

"Always, since Teddy started living here," Harry confirmed. "His room for transformation is prepared as well as the company."

"You have another werewolf coming here for the full moon?" Snape quirked his eyebrow at Harry.

"Rather an animagus and definitely not coming one," Harry chuckled.

"Ms Granger?" Snape asked curiously.

"Nope," Harry snickered.

"You are one," Snape whispered. "Registered?"

"Not yet," Harry chuckled. "I was trying it out on that walk when I had an encounter with a bus and after I was mercifully let out of the hospital I was put on vacation till 1st September. Plus I remember registering law, it has to take place within a month of first transformation. I will just tell them that I mastered animagi sometime this week and waited with registering for the time when I was supposed to come back to work anyway," he explained.

"Can I see it?" Snape asked quietly.

"You aren't going to like it," Harry grimaced, Padfoot wasn't something which Snape was going to like definitely.

"Try me," Snape rolled his eyes.

"On your own head," Harry chuckled.

He let the magic envelope him and immediately he found himself shifting from his human form into his animagi form. He lied himself on the bed and stared at Snape.

Older man looked utterly shocked when he saw the dog. The boys however didn't had that problem and as soon as his transformation was done he had both of them petting his head.

"Black," Snape finally chocked out. "In everything but the eyes," Snape stretched on the bed and touched Harry's head with his left hand. "Though they are a bit duller in this form, more greyish."

Harry wriggled himself away from the boys and jumped on the floor as he transformed back into his human form and sat on the edge of the bed again.

"Hermione named him Padfoot, though Sirius wasn't particularly happy about this name," he chuckled.

"You are becoming more and more like him," Snape whispered.

"Not too much," Harry admitted. "I didn't started pranking people though I'm sorely tempted to do something about Melvin, he tricked me into Blood Adoption, not that I don't appreciate it, I really do, but he really should tell me his reasons for doing this, not fabricating a story."

"If you really want to do something about him," Snape started pensively. "Lie low for few weeks or months. He is an auror and he will be expecting your revenge. Lull his senses, allow him to think that he has nothing to fear and strike him in the moment when he last expects it. If I were you I would do it anyway."

"That sounds better than beating the sunshine out of him next time I see him," Harry agreed. "Plus it allows me to come with a revenge worth a Marauder. He won't know what is going to hit him," he grinned.

"And what is going to hit him?" Snape enquired.

Suddenly Harry was struck with an idea and he grinned to himself before he explained it to Snape, "I'm an auror, right? Fauxhall's Law for Animagi has a catch, a very nice one on that. Whereas all animagi are supposed to register themselves an Auror who happens to be an Animagus can put a request in his file that only the Head of Animagi register can give his files to his superior and only in case of any legal cases going against said Auror. Therefore Melvin won't be aware that I'm an Animagus and I wonder what he will do once he spots a grim following him around."

"That's sneaky," Snape snorted. "But a very good plan, very subtle."

"Plus I can start messing with his brain already," Harry snickered. "He wanted Sirius back, so he will get Sirius back."

"And how you are going to do it oh smart one?" Snape asked curiously.

"Polyjuice Potion," Harry snickered. "I have some of Sirius's hair left around in his room. I don't think that Sirius will be holding it against me."

"I rather doubt so," Snape commented. "He might see it as good idea. Do you have Polyjuice Potion?"

"Part of equipment though we had something on our own in the house. Constant vigilance," Harry said impishly.

"Who made it?" Snape asked.

"I did," Harry admitted. "Part of passing grade from Concealment and Disguise."

"Certainly?" Snape asked curiously.

"The cauldron had magical signature tracker, even if she wanted to Hermione couldn't do it for me. Though I had some outside help," Harry chuckled.

"Still in possession of my book?" Snape enquired.

"I took it back from Vanishing Cabinet after the final battle. Took me few hours of internal battling but I decided to use all advantage I could get before NEWTs, it's not that I had much time to study when I was hunting for Horcruxes," Harry said sheepishly.

"Let's hear it," Snape sighed. "Your NEWTs."

"Outsandings from Transfiguration, Charms and Defence. Exceed Expectations from Herbology and Potions. I messed up with Pepper Up Potion though, turned red instead of dark blue because I added too much raspberry juice in proportion to pepper. Heard from examiner that he was fuming for three days," Harry chuckled.

"But it get rid of the cold otherwise you would get Acceptable," Snape commented.

"It did but fumes was downside. He told me that I would get Acceptable if my theory wasn't Outstanding. Hermione was a bit irritated when she learned that I got 150 on my paper and she only got 149," Harry said sheepishly.

"I assume that you were studying together. What about your other friend?" Snape asked.

"Acceptable on both at the first try," Harry said. "Didn't asked for the second results, though but it had to be at least Exceed Expectations if he approached Melvin."

"Then you put it to a good use," Snape said.

"Why you didn't tried to write your own book?" Harry asked curiously. "You are real master."

"The Potions are about logic," Snape sighed. "You have to use your extensive knowledge not only about the potion itself but also its ingredients, the way of preparing them. And people are dunderheads to follow the instructions instead using their own mind."

"I still think that good book on theory of potions in Hogwarts curriculum would do wonders to the students, especially the first years since that's where the whole process should start," Harry said defensively.

"You are right," Snape said pensively. "And it would give me something to do while I'm recovering. Are you keen of leaving babysitting duty to me when you are going to bring my library from Spinner's End?"

"As long as you aren't telling Hermione that I left home," Harry snickered. "I feel good but I'm still supposed to not leave the house till tomorrow."

"I will just tell her that you are playing hide and seek," Snape chuckled. "The password is 'Tiger Lily' otherwise you wouldn't move anything from the shelf."

"I'm going to get my almighty trunk and I will be leaving after Lucius will send shipment of diapers," Harry chuckled.

After sending two hundreds of packs to spare room on the ground floor Harry apparated with his trunk away to 21 Spinner's End, Blackhill, Tyne and Wear, England. He had been there before, right after the battle to ensure that Snape's things weren't stolen and to make sure that his house remained intact. Back then he couldn't understand why he had done it but now he knew.

He spelled the door open and stepped inside into a tiny sitting room. The walls were completely covered with books, most of them bound in old black or brown leather; a threadbare sofa, an old armchair and a rickety table stood together in the middle of the room.

Nothing had changed since Harry had been there for the last time about fifteen months ago. Gently he set up the trunk on the ground and started emptying the shelves after muttering Snape's password. Slowly the trunk started filling with old dusty volumes, Harry was handling them with utmost care and gentleness. He didn't knew how long he was picking the books and putting them in the trunk but some time had to pass because he heard a pop of apportation outside the house.

The door creaked open and he heard, "I thought that I might find you here."

"I'm only trying to help, Hermione," he answered without looking back at her.

"I know, Harry. Let me help you," he heard her gentle voice.

With another pair of hands who knew how to handle such precious possession as Snape's books were it took less time to fill the trunk with contest of the shelves. In a matter of a hour all books from sitting area were hidden safely in the trunk.

Harry and Hermione shared a look of understanding before they went upstairs. Hermione went to the attic while Harry remained on the first floor. He checked out the bedrooms for books or anything which he thought that Snape might want to have at Grimmauld. In first one on the right he found nothing except a bare bed; an old rickety wardrobe, empty of its contest but Harry carefully checked the room for any lose floorboard or hidden places.

The second room looked more liveable but it still didn't looked as someone's bedroom. Owl treats and foully smelling carrots were lying on the floor. That certainly wasn't the room in which Snape was living.

With a sigh he approached the third door and after checking if the door were open he had to mutter Snape's password to get inside. The room certainly had an air of neglect but it was more liveable than other rooms. The bed which was standing under the window was made, covered with patchwork made coverlet in very clashing choice of colours. The green wallpaper on the wall was peeling off in the corners of the rooms. The wardrobe which stood by the door looked like it was propped on a block; its door were creaked open and Harry spotted an arm of a green jumper. The Asian carpet on the floor made however made Harry flinch, there in the middle of it was big dried off bloodstain, dulled because of passing time.

Harry knew whose blood was on this carpet. He gently approached it and knelt down in front of it. Absentmindedly his left hand touched the bloodstain. So it was this room where Mirzam had died, it had been Snape's bedroom. Suddenly the dread filled him, sure Mirzam said that it was Dolohov and Rookwood who raped her before Snape had killed her … but what if she was withholding some part of the truth. If Snape was a Death Eater back then … then why the man would stop himself from humiliating a Muggle-born? Was Mirzam shielding Snape for some reason or was she telling the truth.

Harry tore his eyes from the bloodstain and let it settle on a crooked floorboard under the bed. He abandoned the bloodstain and crawled to the bed. Gently he picked up the loose floorboard and saw what was hidden under it.

It was an old book covered in brown, worn out leather. It looked more like a photo album of some sort and Harry couldn't resist the temptation to open it. He propped himself against the bed and opened the first page.

Harry was having difficult to breath when he saw the photographs. There were about hundred photographs of his mother at various age, starting somewhere around the age of nine and ending at her wedding day. After the last photo of her there was a blank page and Harry was about to close it and take it to the sitting area to pack with other things when something fell out of the album. It was a newspaper clipping . It was decently sized photo of young Mirzam and under it was an announcement of her death, it read:

_Another Lost Auror._

_This morning we were unhappy to learn that once again another Auror had been lost to our world. Mirzam Mira Verascez (20) had been found dead at Cardogan Street, in the back alley between number 12 and 13. The cause of death was blood loose due to unknown spell which tore young woman open. Also very sad and terrifying news are that young auror had been raped while she was seventh week along pregnant. The name of the father of the child is unknown as well as the identity of young woman's rappers and murderers._

Next to the word father in familiar crooked handwriting was scribbled _Black_ but Harry gasped when he saw what was written under the words rappers and murderers. The last letter in murderers had been crossed out and under the word was written _Severus Snape_. That Snape killed Mirzam he knew, what he saw next to it made his hearts skip a bit. Under the word rappers were written; _Antonin Dolohov_, _Augustus Rookwood_, _Severus Snape_.

"So Snape raped her," Harry said to himself quietly. "But why she was shielding him?"

He shook his head and looked at the page which he absentmindedly flipped on. His breath caught up in his throat.

On this photo he had been around the age of four, he wasn't wearing glasses back then and his green eyes were huge and full of trust. Quickly he started flipping page after page. All his years at muggle school was documented there, it was followed suit by photos which certainly were made at Hogwarts; Great Hall; Quidditch field; potion classes; sitting at the lake, it was all there, all his six years at Hogwarts. When he flipped the last page in the album he gasped out. The last photo was clearly made at Grimmauld Place when he, Hermione and Ron were staying there during their hunt for Horcruxes.

Harry closed the album and it fell on the floor from his hand with a thud.

His thoughts were swimming, he was overwhelmed by conflicting emotions. Mirzam's lie, the fact that Snape not only killed her but also raped her, the fact that deep down inside, against what he told Dumbledore, Snape cared for him. He had to care, at least a tiny bit, if he didn't then why he documented with photos all Harry's life.

"Harry?" he heard Hermione's gentle voice as she knocked on the door.

She gently approached him and sat down next to him o.n the floor. He pointed at the album and continued staring at the peeling off wallpaper stubbornly until he heard her gasp.

"Oh, Harry," she gasped out. "Poor Mirzam."

"Why she was protecting him?" Harry asked quietly. "Why she didn't told me the whole truth?"

"If she was trying to protect him then I think that she fully forgave him what he had done," Hermione whispered.

"But why?" Harry repeated.

"It's a question only Mirzam can answer, Harry," Hermione whispered and she grasped his hand.

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**Awaiting criticism - like always. I'm replying as long as you leave me your email or you log in while reviewing. Bring my ego down ;) Everything is appreciated and taken into consideration.**

_So Harry's dream from last chapter had a deeper meaning ... (hides behind the couch) ... The dreams start to get more and more significant in comming chapters though not everything which happens in dreams will happen in Harry's real life - look at the issue with kindergarten. With passing time Harry will start considering the dreams as more prophetic - though he is still going to be dull about Hermione being in them - it will take some time to have him and Hermione romantically involved._

_Snape... If you want to get my feelings about him check out my new avatar in the profile ... but seriously he needs full redemption, of all his actions and the way on which he is will lead him there. Plus his situation is quite messy - that will be explained better in next chapter where Harry is going to meet his guardian angel and have a very important talk about life and death._

_The Malfoys are still going to be around, so will be Dudley, I have everything prepared for all parties included (if Harry's dream from last chapter is considered as a hint)._

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**Next chapter:** Harry goes against old proverb that the night is for sleeping and while he dozes off he spends more time at talking, mostly with Snape but also his guardian angel and Harry's situation starts to thicken since some dreams of his are starting to get very disturbing and Harry will start to fear that the dreams he has are prophetic (and trust me, he is going to have a very good reason to be scared). We get to see human side of Snape (I know that he is a human, thank you very much) and Snape will land himself on the path to his new, happy life (though, once again, it will take some time for him to get there). Draco and Dudley put their heads together and new plans are going to be developed while everybody are still busy with Narcissa's idea.


	8. Chapter 8: Night Is For Sleeping

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or anything what you can recognize from the books. I do however own the plot of this story but I don't have profits because of it unless you count improving my English as a profit.

**Preview:** The night was invented for people to sleep... lets say that Harry forgot about it...

**So** **_read, enjoy and review (because I love to read your criticism and as long as you are logged in or I have your email I'm answering to your questions)._**

_Beta read by MyUsedRomance._

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**Chapter Eight: Night Is for Sleeping.**

They finished packing Snape's stuff at flobberworm's speed. Harry didn't want to come back to Grimmauld Place and face the man today. It was only the thought of Teddy that made him finally leave. He let Hermione bring the trunk to Snape's bedroom before he locked himself up with Teddy in his.

He hugged the kid tightly and let himself be enveloped by comforting sleep.

He woke up at King's Cross Station and for a moment he had a terrifying thought that he died, again. But there was too much noise around him for him to be dead. He carefully examined his surroundings and while he still was at King's Cross Station, the day looked more like 1st September than anything else.

He quickly looked for his older self amongst the parents. Older Harry was standing next to Hermione who was holding a kid which appeared to be about five years old on her right hip. Behind her was standing Snape with about one year old toddler in his arms. In front of the adults were standing four teenagers, two little girls who looked like they were about to enter Hogwarts, two identical boys whom one could tell apart by their colour robes, Gryffindor and Slytherin.

The girls looked like twins, they had the same type of face with gentle features like Hermione's were but one could tell them apart by their hair and eyes. The girl with brown hair which had very interesting red shade had green eyes like Harry did and her sister had dark brown hair and violet eyes. The kid in Hermione's arms had Hermione's brown hair and eyes.

"Where is that boy?" Hermione asked with a huff. "He said that they are going to see Dominique off."

"Mum, he stopped being a boy sometime ago. In case you didn't realised grandpa Sev is holding his daughter," the boy in Gryffindor robes and prefect's badge pointed out.

"I know that Teddy is all grown up and has a family of his own but seriously…" Hermione started.

"Mum," Teddy, who just appeared next to them with a girl with long strawberry blond hair on his left arm. "We were just saying bye to Victorie's sister. We weren't planning to run away honestly," he chuckled.

"Plus it's better to see the Weasley family of without Elizabeth, she could be smoothed by grandma Weasley. You know her first great-grandchild," said the girl. "Hey boys. Don't cause too much troubles."

"Don't worry Tori," chuckled the boy in Slytherin robes and head boy's badge. "Just take care of our niece and make plans for a nephew."

"Sirius James Black!" Hermione huffed in faked annoyance. "It's rude to talk like that."

"It's not like we don't know what werewolf's stamina is for , mum," chuckled the boy in Gryffindor robes.

"Regulus Severus Black!" Hermione huffed. "Your brother's condition isn't a laughing matter."

"I say that lately it had been fun, mum," Teddy chuckled. "With grandpa's Sev newest potion I feel like…"

"It could double the number of your own siblings, huh, Teddy Bear?" Sirius chuckled.

"Something like that," the girl chuckled. "Don't worry about nephews and nieces we are planning to have at least three other children besides Elsie."

"I always thought that as a descendant of the Weasley family you are going to have at least seven, Victorie," Snape chuckled.

"Four is a good number," said Victorie. "Maybe we will have another one or two later when Elsie and her younger siblings finish Hogwarts."

"Heavily influenced by in-laws," Snape snickered.

"Don't complain dad," older Harry chuckled.

"Have you seen me complain lately?" Snape asked cheerfully.

"Never," Sirius chuckled.

"The Malfoys are coming these way," said Regulus.

Harry turned in that direction and indeed he spotted Draco Malfoy with Hannah Abbot on his arm. In front of them was walking a boy with Draco's blond hair and Hannah's friendly face; he looked about the same age as Harry's sons and the girl on his side with long blonde hair looked about Harry's daughter's age. Behind them were trailing Narcissa and Lucius.

"Dudley, Susan, and the kids are right behind us," Draco called out.

"Run into Michael and his parents," said Hannah as she got closer. "The look on your uncle's face, Harry. Merlin it's priceless."

"Because it is, Hannah," said Dudley jovially. "They adopted an ordinary boy from orphanage with a clear record and bang, a wizard. I think that they gave up."

The boys, both Draco's, Dudley's and Harry's greeted themselves quickly. Draco's daughter together with Dudley's girl and Harry's daughters greeted amongst themselves and started chatting happily.

"Which house are you rooting for this time?" asked Draco jokingly.

"Mirzam in Ravenclaw, like her namesake. Lily is a Hufflepuff material. Amelia is a Slytherin if I ever saw one and Andromeda is going to end in Gryffindor, sorry Drake," Harry chuckled.

"I agree with your girls. Amy strikes me more like a Gryffindor than Slytherin and I'm going to be biased and say that Andy is going to end in Slytherin. After Scorpius's sorting someone in the family has to be in Slytherin," Draco chuckled.

"You are saying that like being Ravenclaw is a bad thing uncle Drake," Teddy snickered.

"I didn't say it was bad, surprising though. Sirius Black in Slytherin, Regulus Black in Gryffindor, Simon Dursley in Hufflepuff and Scorpius Malfoy in Ravenclaw. Merlin I had a hangover for a week after his sorting," Draco snickered.

"How about Gryffindor?" a young male voice asked. "Hey Teddy, Vicky! Aunt Mione, uncle Harry!"

"Hey Duncan," Harry called out. "Gryffindor is the best."

"House biased," Susan snickered.

"Aren't we all?" Hermione asked. "Now Sirius I want you to…"

"I know, mum," Sirius rolled his eyes. "Remember that you are a Head Boy, keep an eye on Lily Rosemary and Mirzam Ruth. Reggie is going to keep an eye on Amy and Andy together with Scorpi and Simon."

"I just can't believe that you are going to be eighteen in November, Sirius. It seems like it was yesterday when I had two of you running around," Hermione said with a sigh.

"And before you know you are going to be grandma again, mum," Regulus chuckled. "I think that I spotted a Head Girl, Sirius. Our violet eyed beauty who stole my brother's heart."

"Shut up Reg!" Sirius hissed.

"Sirius and Mi…" the girls started singing but they didn't manage to finish because Sirius put silencing charm on them.

"Don't worry aunt Mione, we are going to keep an eye on them and keep Sirius from murdering the girls," Draco's son chuckled.

"Keep him on reasonable leash Scorpius," Hermione said warmly. "I know that Reggie is going to be very busy this year so I would appreciate another set of eyes on the girls."

"We should move along," said Dudley's son. "Unless we want to be late."

The kids bid their goodbyes to the adults and they boarded the train about a moment before it started moving. The adults were standing on the platform and waving till the train disappeared behind the bend.

"When I'm going to go to Hogwarts mummy?" asked the boy from Hermione's arms.

"In six years Remus. When Lily and Mirzam are going to be as big as Sirius and Regulus are now," Hermione said gently.

"It's a long time," said the boy.

"It'll pass sooner than you will realise it, Remmy," older Harry said and he picked up the boy and sat him on his shoulders.

"No plans for another one?" Dudley chuckled.

"Nope. I think that we had enough. The next children in Black family will be grandchildren, Dudley," Harry chuckled.

"We were considering plans for a brother or sister for Scorpius and Andromeda. Malfoy Manor is going to be awfully quite this fall," Draco said longingly.

"You should," Narcissa quipped. "Now I see that Lucius and I made grave mistake with not having another child after you."

"It was easily fixed, mum," Draco snickered. "Merlin I remember when you brought Holly and Theresa home. I thought that someone confunded you."

"You were been drinking for three days straight after that," Dudley snickered.

"And hangover after that one was a …" Draco started but Hannah laid a hand on his mouth to silence him.

"And now Tess is marrying her Auror in the winter and Holly made a breakthrough in her researches on Cruicatus Curse madness. Remember that it's going to be a surprise for Neville once all tests are done," said Narcissa happily.

"I don't know if it's wise, Cissy," said Snape sceptically. "They had been lost in their minds for thirty-eight years. Their son is not a toddler anymore but a grown man with his own family and grandson on the way.

"They are sixty, Severus. If the potion is going to work they are going to have at least thirty years to spend with their son, grandchildren and great-grandchildren," said Narcissa defensively.

"They are sixty, Cissy, but in their bodies. Mentally, they would be stuck at twenty-three, twenty-two. Thirty-eight years they spend in madness isn't going to disappear overnight," Snape shook his head. "Their own son is mentally older than them for Merlin's sake."

"Fun killer," Narcissa muttered.

"Maybe I'm a fun killer but I'm ethically wise. I don't think that Holly should be applying the potion to them right away. I advise someone who doesn't have nearly forty years to catch up," Snape said sternly.

"Just twenty-two," Narcissa snorted.

"Still twenty-two is not as drastic as thirty-eight," Snape pointed out. "They are going to need permanent help and even if Ginny Longbottom is a Healer she won't manage doing it on her own. Plus that's the last problem Headmaster Longbottom is going to need right now. He has to break in four teachers this year and worrying about his parents while worrying about school is not going to be good for him," he explained grimly.

"I agree with dad," said older Harry. "I don't think that Holly should be starting with Neville's parents right away. If Neville approached her on his own, that would be different but he should use a little warning now and have a proof that the potion is working."

"Maybe you are right," Narcissa sighed. "I will tell her to try it out on Skeeter woman first, ten years is not thirty-eight after all."

"Why her?" asked Hermione. "She brought it on herself."

"Too true," older Harry snorted. "On Delano's place I would have done the same."

"Every father would," Draco snorted. "Pity that the old man died in Azkaban. Skeeter was good riddance for molesting his son like that. Poor kid hung himself three days after his father ended in Azkaban."

"At least Skeeter will be able to serve her sentence in Azkaban," Lucius pointed out. "Knowing what she had done."

"I think that the Ministry should be keeping a tamed Dementor or two for likes of Skeeter," Hannah snorted.

"Sorry," older Harry muttered. "If I knew beforehand that Skeeter was going to rape Delano's boy I would've keep one around."

"Heard that Shacklebolt is going to step out from being Minister of Magic next spring," Lucius changed subject. "Planning on stepping in, Harry?"

"Nope," older Harry chuckled. "I'm fine as Head of DMLE plus I'm too young for a Minister."

"Shacklebolt was only few years older when he became a Minister of Magic," Lucius pointed out.

"Don't worry, if Harry won't take the post voluntarily they are going to force him," Draco snickered.

"If I get these post at some point of time I would get it because of my hard work, not because of killing Voldemort," older Harry snorted. "And certainly I won't get it next spring."

"We will see," Lucius snickered.

Suddenly everything around Harry started changing. The King's Cross Station had disappeared and he was alone somewhere which looked like a cell. Salty smell of sea was coming through bared window but older-Harry paid no attention to it. He was lying docile on the cot and looked like he was trapped in his own mind. Harry immediately realised why.

At the doors, Dementors were standing, two of them. Suddenly older Harry jolted from his cot, quickly transformed into his Animagi form and curled himself into tight ball. In that position he didn't last long and soon he was back to his human form and pacing along his cell.

Ten feet from the door to the end of the wall on which the window was. From there to the other side of the wall eight feet, stop at the bed, turn on the heel and another ten feet to the door, eight feet to the wall and back again to the window. After few minutes of pacing he collapsed on the cot and sobbed.

"How could you live through it, Sirius?" came the broken whisper. "Twelve years and it had been only a year and I'm inch away from madness. If I only knew what happened to Teddy."

"Severus is with him, Harry," came Sirius gentle voice. "Don't give up. Lucius is searching high and low for the bitch who put you here."

"Why does Hermione never come?" older Harry whispered brokenly. "I thought that she would come. Is she mad at me?"

Sirius said nothing, he just sat next to Harry and gripped Harry's hands.

"You will get through it Harry. I know that being here is a hell. I've been there too," Sirius whispered fiercely.

"Cell number 1313," older Harry snorted. "Can you see the irony Sirius? Your father kept repeating me for years that I'm not you … but he was wrong. I'm like you … I'm you."

"If you are like me then you will know what has to be done Harry," Sirius said fiercely. "You know how to do it and I swear on Mirzam's and Sadie's souls that once you leave this cell I won't abandon you until the justice is done."

"Until justice is done," older Harry whispered.

"You know what you are going to do," Sirius said quickly.

"I know what I'm going to do," Harry repeated. "Stay with me Sirius. Please."

"Always," Sirius whispered and he laid his hand on Harry's heart. "I'll be always there with you Harry."

"The food will come in two hours, then no one will come till next morning," older Harry whispered.

"You will be ready," Sirius said firmly and he squeezed Harry's hand.

"I will be ready," Harry whispered. "Now more than ever."

The scene shifted again and once the cell remained the same, older Harry wasn't.

"I didn't kill her!" he was screaming through the door. "I'm innocent. I would never kill her."

"Everybody says that, Black!" came a snarl from the corridor. "You are just like your daddy."

"He was innocent!" Harry screamed out. "So am I. Let me go you motherfuckers!"

"Shut up Black!" came the reply.

"Teddy," older Harry whispered brokenly. "My little Teddy," he mumbled and slid on the floor.

Suddenly Harry felt that someone was shaking his arm violently and he jolted away to hit the offender. He opened his eyes and came face to face with Snape. Snape was sitting on the right side of Harry's bed, his right arm was holding tearful Teddy and his left hand was lying on Harry's left shoulder.

"You had a nightmare," Snape stated calmly.

"Thank Merlin," Harry breathed out and fell back on the bed. "It was just too real."

"What was it?" asked Snape, suspiciously gently for him.

"Azkaban," Harry whispered. "I was in Azkaban. Sirius's old cell to be more specific. I killed someone and I was locked up. It was horrible…"

"It was just a nightmare, Harry," Snape said quietly.

"Thrice damned nightmare," Harry snorted. "These dreams…" he paused, "they are comforting for most of the time. In a way … prophetic … I thought that they were just dreams until I saw you in them and later rescued you. Otherwise you couldn't be in my dream."

"What was I doing?" Snape asked.

"Weird things," Harry mumbled. "Generally you were far more pleasant than you used to be. Happier, everything was happier."

"They are just dreams. Perhaps if you took an advice from old man and applied Occlumency…" Snape started.

"Never works," Harry sighed. "I had been practicing Occlumency but it never works with these dreams. I kept having them despite Occlumency. Since most of them are pleasant I'm not complaining but sometimes… they go astray. Like the one with Voldemort, fear of failure. Or this one, both followed pleasant dreams."

"They are still just dreams," Snape sighed.

"I fear that they are prophetic," Harry whispered.

"Want to talk with Trelawney about it?" Snape chuckled.

"No," Harry groaned in mocked agony.

"Then scoot over. I have no strength to come back to my room and you look like you need someone to wake you from another nightmare," Snape sighed.

Harry scooted obediently and made room for Snape.

"Why?" Harry asked quietly.

"Why what?" asked Snape tiredly.

"Mirzam. Why was she shielding you?" Harry asked.

"I thought that she told you everything," Snape sighed.

"She left off that part where you raped her," Harry mumbled. "Why did you keep that carpet in your room?"

"I don't know why she didn't tell you that part but I assure you that I didn't killed her in that room," Snape mumbled. "After… after Voldemort went after Lily I moved the carpet from the sitting room to my bedroom, to see it every time before I will fell asleep, to remember what had I done."

"Constant reminder," Harry sighed.

"Indeed," Snape whispered. "Constant reminder of a murder which made me change my life. Taking a life is never easy thing to do, no matter what a murder is a murder."

"Like with Dumbledore?" Harry asked.

"Like with Dumbledore," Snape sighed. "I hated him for it, for asking me to do this, to protect Draco and not him."

"He is your godson," Harry pointed out.

"And I'm a shitty godfather," Snape muttered. "I tried to keep him away from that mess but I didn't manage to save him from making a huge mistake."

"I think that you did everything that could be done," Harry admitted."You tried to do something instead of sitting back."

"Compared to him I'm a shitty godfather. Put in his place, I don't think that I would find enough of strength inside me to do what he did," Snape mumbled. "Living after Lily died… was pure torture. I couldn't have stood it. There was no devil to which I wouldn't sell my soul just to see her eyes again."

"My photos?" Harry asked quietly.

"It took me three years of battling with myself," Snape admitted. "Finally I couldn't stand it and I just had to see you. You were so small, so lost, so vulnerable … and every time I saw you I kept remembering that if it wasn't for my own stupidity you could be my son. I wanted to take you in, to take you away from Petunia, to give you a real home but I knew … I saw what happened to Lupin. He fought for you with such ferocity … three times he tried to take you in and three times Dumbledore didn't allow him to take you … I knew that if I tried … it would be the same and I just couldn't stand the failure."

"Did you really hate me when I came around?" Harry asked curiously.

"I had to," Snape whispered. "I tried to and every time I brought you down I felt like shit. You looked so much like him … but your eyes … as long as I didn't look in them I could manage … I could keep that facade … for everyone."

"I'm sorry," Harry sighed.

"There is nothing to be sorry about," Snape sighed. "Unless you have a misdeeds?" he turned his head to the right to face Harry. "Don't forget that I'm a Legilimens."

Harry chuckled, "So I'm supposed to confess?"

"Unless you don't want to," Snape shrugged.

"In my first year we thought that you wanted to steal Philosopher Stone and that you jinxed my broom," Harry snickered. "Dumbledore told me later that it was the other way around and you were trying to save me."

"You found it hard to believe?" Snape snorted.

"Well I'm sorry that every time I saw you around you turned into great bat who kept insulting me," Harry rolled his eyes. "We were children how we were supposed to guess beforehand that it was Quirrel not you?"

"Okay, my fault," Snape sighed. "I could have told you to be careful around Quirrel. You really expected to see me after you passed my riddle?"

"That's why I was surprised to see Quirrel," Harry admitted. "He was so … blank to be the bad one."

"And I was not?" Snape snorted in amusement.

"If you were an actor you would do well with playing villains," Harry chuckled. "What was about your robe? You know that whole billowing look."

"Ah, that," Snape chuckled. "Lily's little charm, I always had problems with my robes and coats. When I was young I had school robes which were twice my size and constantly ended tangled in them. When we were twelve she invented the charm which kept them from tangling."

"Good to know," Harry chuckled.

"What about the second year? Were you a good boy?" Snape chuckled.

"Nope," Harry snickered.

"What about the Polyjuice, I knew that Crouch was stealing from my stash in your fourth year but I'm sure that boomslang skin was missing in your second," Snape said curiously.

"We thought that Malfoy was the heir of Slytherin," Harry said. "Hermione came with the idea of Polyjuice. I was supposed to set a distraction in the classroom when she was sneaking away to get boomslang skin."

"So it was you," Snape chuckled. "What about the Polyjuice? Waste of time?"

"Well we learned that Malfoy wasn't the heir of Slytherin," Harry snorted.

"You made it?" Snape asked, he sounded shocked. "In your second year?"

"Yep," Harry snickered. "We had a little problem with hairs since Hermione who was supposed to go as Millicent Bulstrode ended as catgirl because the hair she took belonged to Bulstrode's cat."

"So that's why Pomfrey needed hair remover," Snape snickered. "Reminds me that once in our seventh year Slughorn allowed us to take Polyjuice Potion in the classroom."

"What happened?" Harry asked curiously.

"Your godfather is what happened," Snape snickered even harder. "Slughorn paired him with Mirzam Verascez. He took the potion with her hair and everything was fine until she took the potion … suddenly she turned into a dogwoman. Literally. Slughorn tried to coax her into going to hospital wing but he didn't catch her in time. She kept chasing Sirius all around the castle hexing him every once and then until Dumbledore had to separate them."

"Oh, Merlin," Harry snickered. "They didn't tell me that."

"They made a weird pair," Snape snickered. "He started mooning over her in our second year after she smeared out their seeker in the first match of the season but she wouldn't give him a time of the day until she came back from the hospital after Pomfrey turned her into a woman again. Then in Potions classroom he offered to be her personal slave until graduation for that incident and I had to admit that it was the first time ever when someone saw him apologising."

"She took him on that offer?" Harry asked curiously.

"She did. He carried her bag to the classrooms, studied with her in the library, brought her books she needed, polished her broomstick, kept sitting at Ravenclaw's Quidditch practices. Your father almost hexed him off during the match with Ravenclaw because he was sending bludgers at everyone but not her," Snape chuckled.

"That's when they started dating?" Harry asked curiously.

"No. That's when she made him pay for every embarrassment he did to her. But he was persistent, otherwise they wouldn't be together. He was really in, way too deep, deeper than your father, because he at least listened when Lily told him to get lost when he saw that she was really angry at him. Your godfather didn't have this kind of preservation. Mirzam, intentionally I should add, slipped him temporary gender changing potion just to humiliate him and he had a nerve to ask her if she could borrow him some nail polisher. Regulus kept laughing his ass off everytime he saw him until the potion wore off. Once I caught him telling his Ravenclaw classmate that these two are meant to be together," Snape explained.

"He knew that she was Muggle-born, right?" Harry asked curiously.

Snape nodded.

"And he still thought that they were meant to be together?" Harry asked surprised.

"You will be even more surprised if you knew who he said that to," Snape snickered. "A Muggle-born girl from his year, they were paired together in Potions, Ancient Runes and Arithmancy."

"I find it hard to believe," Harry snorted. "He was really into serving Voldemort back then."

"You don't really know what triggered the change of his loyalty to Voldemort," Snape shook his head.

"And you did?" Harry asked curiously.

"I think I do," Snape sighed. "I didn't really pay attention to him, back then but now I can clear tell when he decided to abandon the Dark Lord. On 24th December 1979 Amycus, Rudolphus and Rastaban Lestrange lead a ride in Wye, a complete muggle village. They killed five random families, one of them were the Night family. Typical muggle family with one son and two daughters, one of them was a witch. Muggle-born sorted into Ravenclaw, she was Regulus's age. She died a terrible death … from what I found out later that thrice damned trio tortured her parents and siblings and killed them while they made her watch. They raped her," Snape paused to take a deep breath. "All three of them … they used Sectumsempra on her and watched her bleed to death. She died in the same way as … as Mirzam died, on the same day."

"He loved her," Harry whispered.

"And died three days after her," Snape added. "No one really knew what happened to him. His body was never found but his mother announced his death. His father hung himself four days later."

"It's sad," Harry sighed.

"It's ironic," Snape whispered. "You know what was the worst blow for him?"

"She was pregnant," Harry hazarded a guess.

"Five weeks along, it was supposed to be a daughter from what I learned," Snape sighed. "Later it was easier to explain his behaviour. I could see it in his eyes, everybody assumed that he was happy to serve the Dark Lord but the change had started before it … That's when Voldemort started suspecting that there was a traitor amongst us, someone kept alerting the Aurors but Regulus was beyond Voldemort's suspicions. He was a good actor; he played hating his brother so well that everybody was convinced. I hazard a guess that he and Sirius were in touch, not that your godfather knew that it was Regulus," he explained.

"Then I don't get one thing," Harry muttered. "If she and his daughter died before him then why he became a guardian angel and didn't moved with them like Sirius did?"

"Ask him that when you see him," Snape suggested. "Though I think that unlike your godfather Regulus chose to become an angel because he blamed himself for their deaths."

"It could happen," Harry said and he yawned.

"Sleep," Snape sighed. "We might talk in the morning."

Harry covered Teddy and yawned one last time before he fell asleep.

* * *

He woke up in a small graveyard somewhere in the country which for sure wasn't a graveyard in Godric's Hollow. Not knowing why he ended there he carefully looked around, it took him a moment to realise that he wasn't alone. About ten feet away from him in front of a black marble headstone was sitting a hunched figure.

Harry quietly approached the figure and looked at the headstone. The inscription on it read:

_Hermione Anne Black_

_19 September 1960 – 24 December 1979_

_Beloved daughter and the best of wives. Rest in peace my Amariel._

But it was the inscription below it which made Harry gasp:

_Regulus Arcturus Black_

_31 July 1961 – 27 December 1979_

_Killed by grief._

"I see that you found it," Harry heard a heavy sigh.

"Regulus?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, that's me," Regulus sighed again.

"Where are we?" Harry asked tentatively and he sat down next to him.

"Graveyard in Wye," Regulus answered blankly. "There wasn't a body but there were two headstones. One in London and one here."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Because I wanted to have my name on my wife's grave even if I didn't really know where my body was supposed to end," Regulus shrugged. "I charmed the stone to show the day of my death if I died."

"She was your wife?" Harry asked. "But it … there is nothing on the family tree."

"Because the tree doesn't records muggle weddings," Regulus snorted. "And mine was muggle. It was in that chapel on the other side of the street. On 13th September 1979. Just nine of us and the priest," he sighed.

"Nine?" Harry asked. "But Snape said that…"

"Me and Hermione, her parents and siblings, my best man and Hermione's bridesmaid, the last two were oblivated after the wedding for their own safety," Regulus explained.

"Who were they?" Harry asked and immediately berated himself for being too curious. "You don't have to answer if you don't want," he added quickly.

"Sirius and Mirzam," Regulus answered. "I couldn't endanger them by remembering about the wedding so after it I oblivated them. I planned to send Hermione's family into hiding after Christmas and disappear with her, somewhere, after I learned that we were going to have a daughter. It was too late…"

"Why you didn't move with them? After you died?" Harry asked.

"I looked for them," Regulus sighed. "I had been told that Hermione moved already as a guardian angel and that … that our daughter wasn't meant to be born, she was destined to be miscarried from the start," he said brokenly. "Children who are supposed to be miscarried are shells, Harry. They have no soul in their bodies, no personality, nothing," he sobbed and hid his face in his hands. "Some are born …" he choked out. "Soulless, empty shells … they have their minds … murderers … Dark Lords," he whispered and let a broken sob escape him. "It hurt like bitch, worse than Cruciatus … Dying … hoping to see your family … just to learn that …" his voice broke down completely.

"She is still out there," said another voice and when Harry whirled around to see who it was he meet Mr Black's sad gaze.

"Bugger off," Regulus choked out. "Don't patronise me."

"You know that you are messing with something which his bigger than you, Regulus," Mr Black sighed heavily.

"I don't care!" Regulu snarled. "I don't care. I'm a guardian angel, so are you but in so far only the one of us is doing his job. We swear to protect them, father!"

"So we do," Mr Black said gently. "But you know that there are times when our hands are bound."

"I know and I hate you," Regulus growled. "I hate Fate, I hate Destiny, I hate these tests!" he screamed and he disappeared.

"He is a rebel," Mr Black sighed.

"What kind of tests he is talking about?" Harry asked curiously.

"The one which binds our hands, Harry. We might try to interfere in the lives of our protégés and we do if we think that another course of actions is right choice but sometimes … we can't interfere and sit back and watch," Mr Black explained tiredly. "Regulus rebelled against it. He had enough power to break the charm which binds us to save his protégé. I had been told when I died that one day in the future he will try to do this and that's why he was punished on account. Fate and Destiny made his wife move away as a guardian angel and told him that his daughter was a shell."

"Is she not?" Harry asked.

"With unborn children who die with their mothers is different than with the others. It's their mother's choice to give birth to them here or to keep them in their wombs until they chose the right time for them to be born," Mr Black said sadly. "Look at Mirzam, she had been dead for almost twenty years but Sadalsuud is only three years old. She chose to not give birth to him until Sirius joined her; she chose to let Sirius watching him grow, like he was supposed to be."

"So Regulus's wife…" Harry started and looked at Mr Black expectantly.

"Moved as an angel with his daughter in her womb. She chose to wait for him," Mr Black said.

"The shells?" Harry asked.

"Still exists, Harry. Though not in Regulus's case. Voldemort was a shell," Mr Black sighed. "He could have soul if Merope gave it to him. By loving him she would bring the angel to him and with the angel comes the soul. Look at Severus, Harry. He was the child shell who was born, there was no love for him in his family but someone loved him just enough to give a part of hers soul and part of hers own guardian angel. When Lily left him she took that part away from him."

Harry started at him in shock.

"When Mirzam died she learnt the truth about him and asked Fate and Destiny to give Severus hers son soul and the guardian angel meant for her son," Mr Black sighed. "When she asked for the first time her plea was rejected, she continued asking until Regulus came. He was meant to be Sadalsuud's guardian angel. Fate and Destiny allowed transfer of the soul, pure untouched soul as long as the mother of the child from whom part of the soul was taken to create the soul for Severus didn't give birth to her child for at least fifteen years," he added grimly.

"Sadalsuud is a Horcrux?" Harry gasped.

"Sweet Merlin no," Mr Black chuckled. "Things like Horcruxes don't exist in afterlife. Fate and Destiny didn't had a soul for Severus, his own soul. Mirzam assumed that since she was going to wait for Sirius and she assumed that the waiting would be very long she could give Severus her sons soul on the terms she knew. In fifteen years here in afterlife the split soul of a child merges back, on earth it takes far less time, few days at the most. There is absolutely no connection between one soul and the other. Given soul doesn't glimpses its twin in afterlife as long as it lives in the person it was send to but when that person dies and meets his or hers twin soul they feel like brothers or sisters. Then his soul is going to vanish and there will be no more of him."

"So when Severus will die…" Harry started.

"He will learn the truth and he is going to die, as a soul, not literally … Unless he sets Sadalsuud's soul free before he dies," Mr Black finished.

"How?" Harry asked.

"By forgiving himself. Remember that it was Mirzam's death and Mirzam's sacrifice which gave him part of Sadalsuud's soul on which his own soul blossomed but as long as he keeps blaming himself for her death his soul will remain Sadalsuud's soul first. But if he forgives himself, fully forgives himself the part of Sadalsuud's soul in him will move back to afterlife and his own soul, built on Sadalsuud's soul will create that missing part which moved away and when he dies on earth he won't die in afterlife after meeting Sadalsuud," Mr Black explained.

"Regulus knew it," Harry said.

"Yes, that's why he kept Severus alive for as long as he could. That's why Severus didn't die, because Regulus rebelled against Fate and Destiny. You are the only person who can help Severus in creating his own soul. Even if Mirzam wants Severus to have his own soul she can't reach him, you can," Mr Black said.

"That's why she told me that she forgives him," Harry said quietly. "She knows what will happen to him when he dies."

"That's Mirzam for you," Mr Black chuckled. "She is a caring soul, Harry," his tone got gentler. "If she says that she forgave him then she did."

"It will be hard," Harry sighed.

"It will be hard," Mr Black agreed and he stood up. "But it will be worth it," he smiled down at Harry. "The life is meant to be lived, Harry. Severus needs to learn it. You will be his chance for redemption."

Mr Black started walking away slowly when Harry realised that he had another question to ask.

"What about my dreams?" he asked quickly

"Dreams?" Mr Black asked as he turned around to face Harry.

"The ones I get before I reach out to someone here," Harry explained. "Are they prophetic? I mean the night before we rescued him I dreamt about Snape."

"Dreams are only what we make them, Harry," Mr Black sighed before he turned his head away from Harry. "They personalise our fears, worries, hopes… They are just dreams."

"So they aren't prophetic?" Harry asked carefully.

"No," Mr Black sighed without turning around to face Harry.

"Why I kept seeing you, lately?" Harry asked curiously.

At that Mr Black turned around and as he did so big, white wings with long feathers sprung from his back. Harry saw the wings on Regulus before but Regulus's wings while still big and impressive weren't stretched out to their full capacity. Mr Black's wings were stretched out on their full length. While open they were ending about a feet above the top of older man's head and wide for another feet on each sigh as the man outstretched his arms to their full length.

"You are an angel," Harry whispered.

"Correction, Harry," Mr Black gave him small smile. "I'm your guardian angel."

"Why?" Harry asked the first thing which came to his mind.

Mr Black chuckled and his wings folded themselves behind him. Their top was still above the man's head, though now they were ending just about four inches above the man's head instead of a foot.

"A chance for redemption in afterlife," Mr Black explained. "When I died I had been asked to be a guardian angel of a boy who was just few months away from being born. If I took it and done by best as his angel then I could move happily to the afterlife after he died."

"And if you don't?" Harry asked.

"Are you familiar with the concept of purgatory?" Mr Black asked pensively.

"More or less. Is there a hell in afterlife?" Harry asked.

"Each of us has their own concept of hell and in afterlife hell is like Azkaban, seeing all your mistakes, all misdeeds, all failures. But hell is only for very few people, who even in afterlife didn't showed redemption for their crimes from life," Mr Black sighed. "Purgatory is different from hell, but only just slightly. The concept is the same but as long as you feel remorse there is a chance that one day you will move to the afterlife you saw when you had a run with double-decker."

"And what being an angel has to do with it?" Harry asked curiously.

"Part of purgatory," Mr Black chuckled. "But tad different, the lowest version of purgatory. A chance to redeem your crimes by watching over these needing your guidance. Some people love this job so much that they become permanent guardian angels, the rest stays as angels until their protégés move away into afterlife."

"What about you?" Harry asked.

"I had my hands tide for better part of your life," Mr Black admitted. "I think that I will stay around. Angel guardianship is the toughest job you can ever have but the job you will learn to love, just like you learn to love your protégé. Why do you think I risked taking you to afterlife? You needed to see it and I was the only one who could take you there."

"You care for me," Harry whispered.

"I always did," Mr Black smiled at Harry. "I think that it is the highest time for you to come back. Full moon ahead," and with that he vanished leaving speechless Harry behind.

* * *

Harry woke up abruptly and tried to sit up. The keyword was tried. His left arm was pinned by sleeping Teddy who stuck his right thumb into his mouth. Behind Teddy, looking more peaceful than Harry ever saw him was sleeping Snape, he was lying in semi-foetal position with his left hand touching Teddy's shoulders, a loose strand fell on his face and he had a gentle smile on his face.

Harry turned his head to right and when he came to face bushy brown hair he realised that it was Hermione who pinned him to the bed from the other side. Her head was lying on his right shoulder, her left hand was clutching his t-shirt, her right was sprawled all across Harry's chest and her right hand was touching Teddy's waist.

Seeing that in present arrangement he had no other choice Harry sighed contently and decided to catch a nap.

He woke up again to the sound of camera going off. He blinked to clear his eyes and came face to face with smirking Draco Malfoy.

"I'm keeping it as blackmail," Draco chuckled and he simply disapparated.

That's when Harry fell Hermione and Teddy stir.

"Who let the git in?" Snape muttered sleepily.

"No one," Harry snorted. "He came all by himself."

"What happened?" asked Hermione sleepily.

"Malfoy," Harry yawned.

"Malpoy," Teddy mumbled.

"Almost good," Snape yawned. "Did he have a camera?"

"That's what woke me up," Harry replied.

"Hex him on my account," Snape mumbled. "Before he sells this photo to Daily Prophet."

"I think that he will keep it for blackmail," Hermione yawned.

"Or frame it and give it to us on Christmas Day," Harry snorted.

"Neve…" Snape yawned. "Nevertheless it would be good to stand up and take the camera from him."

"Point taken, except I don't have a lot of room to move," Harry pointed out.

Grumbling and dressing up in their dressing gowns they moved downstairs. Snape seemed to have enough strength to move on his own instead of leaning over Harry's or Hermione's shoulders.

In the kitchen, with Kreacher humming something as he was moving between the counters and the stove were sitting the Malfoys and Dudley with Duncan. Narcissa was feeding Duncan with porridge just as Dudley and Draco were discussing something. Lucius, no news here, was doing the same thing he had done yesterday at the breakfast, flipping through newspaper.

"So sports transa …transmitu … transmit… ions are popular in TV?" asked Draco.

"Pretty much," Dudley nodded. "Especially when a certain TV station has its rights to transmit the matches. Gives lots of money," he explained.

"What else is popular?" Draco asked.

"TV Quizzes of various kind. Between stay at home mothers and wives, cooking programs and telenovelas. News is also very important. Cartoons for kids. Documentary is also well respected," Dudley answered.

"That's very interesting," Draco sighed. "So what does one need to start own TV station?"

"Lots of money from what I know," Dudley chuckled.

"Covered," Lucius said without tearing his eyes from the newspaper. "What else?"

"Lots of patience and few other things, my friend will be more helpful there. I can ask him for a briefing," Dudley added.

"Will be the most welcomed," Lucius sighed. "We need everything to be covered before one of us will approach the Minister of Magic."

"That will be you, dad," Draco smirked. "From what I heard Garglan is in need of money."

"Incompetent fool," Lucius muttered. "He had a gall to approach me last month asking for financial help."

"What did you tell him, Lucius?" Narcissa asked.

"I told him that I would think about it. But now I see that something good can come from it," Lucius replied and he lied the newspaper on the table and as he spotted them standing in the door he said, "Hey sleepy heads!"

"Already corrupting the Ministry?" Harry asked in amusement.

"For a good cause and it's not that it came from me," Lucius snorted. "Garglan is an old pal of Fudge. Familiar with the phrase, birds of a feather?"

"Also familiar with, takes one to know one," Harry sighed and when Kreacher handed him his cup of coffee he added, "Thank you Kreacher."

"What brought you here so early?" Snape asked suspiciously.

"Finishing touches on the nursery," Narcissa quipped. "Plus Hermione agreed that we should have all out helpers at lunch since dinner is out of the questions."

"How many of them?" Harry asked.

"The Diggorys, Amos isn't letting Athena out of his sight just because it was me who asked her for help. Daphne Greengrass, Tracey Davis, Hannah Abbot, Susan Bones, Mandy Brocklehurst, Augusta Longbottom and Neville. Justin Finch-Fletchey agreed to help, as well as …" Narcissa paused.

"Patil twins," Draco supplied. "Sophie Anderson, you don't know her, Slytherin, year below us, half-blood, just finished Hogwarts and looks for a job. Grace and Gloria Hopkins, also half-bloods, Sophie's classmates."

"Wrote Dorea Forest?" Snape asked. "I didn't appoint her as a Prefect just because she was pretty. She was always helpful for all firsties."

"I did," Draco nodded. "She is on vacation with her mother now but she wrote me that she will be in London on 4th September. By the way smart move, uncle Sev."

"What do you mean?" asked Hermione curiously.

"Ah, I forgot that you didn't know," Draco chuckled. "I couldn't believe it when I heard it when I attended that meeting but once Hogwarts was supposed to reopen with our dear spy as Headmaster it turned out that … let's put it this way that our dear Professor here," he motioned at Snape was sipping his coffee, "was more sexually active," Snape chocked on his coffee, "than anyone expected him to be. He claimed to be a father of six Muggle-born Slytherin girls and the best is that everybody bought it, Dark Lord included. In this way six of them were able to attend Hogwarts."

"That was the only way I could protect them," Snape mumbled. "What happened to Magnolia Turner?" he asked suddenly.

"That cute gypsy three year old?" Narcissa asked.

"One and only," Snape nodded.

"Well she is five now," Narcissa replied and Snape rolled his eyes. "When things turned to thick I took her to Muggle orphanage in Cornwall and oblivated her. Told the rest that she drowned in the fountain when she sneaked off."

"That's Sev's another daughter," Lucius snorted. "And the only one I could really buy as one because of her looks."

"She was really cute, jet-black hair, almost black eyes. Another Muggle-born, Sev vehemently stepped in when Carrows and Lestranges attacked her mother and told them to bugger off from his daughter," Narcissa chuckled. "Sadly her mother didn't made it but Sev personally hid Maggie from my dearest sister. Told us if a hair will fall from her head then will be a hell to pay."

"Where exactly did you leave her?" asked Snape suddenly.

"Falmouth," Narcissa replied. "Once Hermione deems you health enough to move I can take you there."

"Thank you I will rather go there on my own," Snape muttered.

"You aren't going anywhere on your own Professor," Hermione said quickly. "In case you forgot you recently had a life altering surgery, barely recovered from pneumonia. If you are going to leave then you are leaving with one of us and that's final."

"She has six years of being scolded to make up," Draco snickered. "Brace yourself uncle Sev."

"Since I'm not a member of Hogwarts faculty anymore and my stay at this house looks like a long one can we drop this Professor charade, Hermione?" Snape rolled his eyes. "Severus would do just fine."

"Fine, Severus," Hermione mumbled. "You can go out with Harry and Teddy as long as you will come back for lunch." Then she turned to Dudley and asked, "Are you leaving Duncan here?"

"If it won't be an inconvenience," Dudley shrugged. "I have some stuff to fix at the nursery at nine o'clock."

"You can leave him with us," Narcissa offered. "I will be helping Hermione with lunch and between the two of us we can mind Duncan or he can leave with Sev and Harry."

"I'm going to wear Garglan down," Lucius said.

"I can go with these two and make sure that they will make lunch on time," Draco offered.

* * *

Half of hour later, dressed up in muggle clothes Harry, Snape and Draco together with Teddy and Duncan found themselves in Falmouth, in front of an old and disgustingly looking orphanage.

"There is no place for a child," Snape muttered.

"Agreed," Harry muttered.

"Do you need me to stay behind with the boys?" Draco asked suddenly and when Harry turned to look at him he added. "If I know uncle Sev well enough I know that he is planning to kidnap Magnolia and you are far more passable for his son than I am."

"Stay in that coffee shop," Snape said quickly and he pointed at the coffee shop on the corner of the opposite side of the street. "Harry, you are going with me."

Harry handed Teddy to Draco who already was holding Duncan on his left hip before he entered the orphanage.

"Let me do the talking part," Snape said.

"Fine with me," Harry shrugged.

They passed the corridor and once they found themselves in front of the door with plaque 'Director' Snape knocked on the door. After long moment of waiting the door had opened and revealed an older lady with grey hair and face etched with lines.

"How can I help you?" the lady asked in scratchy voice.

Harry immediately didn't like her, it was just a hunch but he deeply despised her.

"My son and I are looking for my daughter; my thrice damned sister-in-law had left her here. She should be around the age of five," Snape said quickly.

"What will be her name?" the lady asked.

"Magnolia, Magnolia Turner," Snape answered.

"We don't have a child named Magnolia," said the lady.

"My sister-in-law might have given another name for her, she wasn't fond of the name Magnolia," Snape quipped. "Jet-black hair, almost black eyes," he added quickly.

"We have a girl like that," said the woman calmly. "But she is seed of the devil, I tell you. Ever since she came here she did nothing but cause troubles."

'Distract her,' Harry heard in his mind.

"Honestly she can't be that bad, she is just a child," Harry cut in.

"She is spawn of the Satan, sir," said the woman firmly. "Dropped plates, closets burning into nothing but fine ash. Even father O'Maley didn't manage to help her and he is the best exorcist in Cornwall. If so she got even worse after his visit."

"Perhaps you are seeing things, madam," Harry said firmly. "She is just a child, she was forcibly taken from our father two years ago and she is scared."

"She should be burned down on the stock," the woman muttered. "I tried to beat that nonsense of her but it didn't work."

'Don't throw Cruciatus on her, Harry. She isn't worth it,' he heard his mother's voice in his mind.

'Though Torture of the Insects would work quite nicely. The incantation is Insectus. Wizards are able to repel them with Finite but she will be seeing insects eating her skin for the rest of her life. A very good penance for all the wrongs she had done in her life,' quipped Mirzam. 'And they can't put you in Azkaban for that.'

'Don't encourage him, Mirzam!' he heard his mother's voice.

'If I was alive she will be under 'Back to You Torture' for the rest of her life,' Mirzam pointed out grimly. 'And that's far worse than Torture of Insects. Magically induced nightmares with her as the centre of all wrongs she ever done to this poor children.'

'It's worse than Back to You,' his mother huffed.

'No, it's not,' Mirzam muttered. 'Back to You would kill her in a matter of three, maybe four months. Considering everything she has done to this children she won't live long enough to relieve all the horrors she subjected them to. Torture of Insects will lock her up in mental ward for the rest of her life.'

'And you are supposed to be forgiving person!' his mother growled.

'I'm forgiving, to these who show remorse. She knows it not,' Mirzam snorted.

'So what is her penance?' Harry asked them mentally.

'Insects,' Mirzam replied quickly.

'Forgiveness,' his mother replied.

'Give me her remorse for these three children she abused so much that they hung themselves in the bathroom and I will agree with you,' Mirzam huffed.

Harry listened to their conversation and while his mother had a point he found himself agreeing with Mirzam. Forgiveness was for this who showed remorse and if the woman didn't showed even an inch of remorse then she needed to be taught a lesson.

Thankfully the library on 12 Grimmauld Place had lots of books about Dark Arts long forgotten. The Torture of Insects was very light penalty because the woman wouldn't be able to concentrate on her remorse. Back to You on the other hand was too tempting.

'Ruth's Torture,' said Mr Black suddenly. 'The Torture of Living Nightmares. She will be safe only in her dreams. Whenever she goes she will see her victims. Back to You will kill her quickly, Torture of Insects is too light penalty for her. Ruth's Torture will wear off in the moment she shows remorse for everything bad she ever done. The incantation is Ruthesian Torturo, nonverbal.'

From the point where Harry was standing he could clearly see Snape coming down the stairs with small girl with jet-black hair in his arms.

The woman had her backs turned from him for a moment and Harry wasted no time at casting 'Ruthesian Torturo' on her. The woman had gasped and fell on the nearest chair.

"Madam, how are you feeling?" Harry asked in faked concern.

"Fine, I'm fine," she mumbled and rubbed her head with both her hands, Harry used this time to look at the door and saw Snape disappearing form on the side of the corridor which lead to the front gates.

"If that's so I will be leaving," Harry said and quickly oblivated the woman to not remember their visit.

He met Snape and Malfoy in the coffee shop. Draco was smeared with ice-creams and it looked like he was trying to feed the boys with them but was failing miserably. Snape seemed amused by that sigh, so did the little, cute girl whom he was holding on his knees.

"That's official," Snape announced as Harry walked to their table. "I'm telling your mother that you are taking over babysitting duties until 1st September and if you are not then I'm telling her that you aren't supposed to have children until you learn how to handle them."

"I like to see you trying," Draco snorted.

"Kids their age like to eat on their own, pushing food into them on force only backfires on you," Snape commented. "Been there, done it before."

"How?" Harry asked curiously.

"The title of godfather comes with responsibilities," Snape replied in a tone which explained everything.

"So what about Magnolia?" Harry changed the subject.

"Would you mind…" Snape started unsurely.

"Not at all," Harry shook his head. "If you want her to live with us then I have no objections."

The smile which appeared on Snape's face made Harry realise that he did the right thing. The man deserved some happiness and that little cutie who was sitting on his knees could give it to him.

The only question which Harry had was: why did Magnolia not appear in his dreams?

* * *

**Awaiting criticism - like always. I'm replying as long as you leave me your email or you log in while reviewing. Bring my ego down ;) Everything is appreciated and taken into consideration.**

_Snape... might seem a bit out of character with saving the girls but I think that deep down he is not. Note what he says to Dumbledore in his memories, in fact Snape and Harry have more in common than they would dare to admit, that whole saving-people thing. _

_I would be more inclined to explain more stuff but I currently learned something which pissed me off very much and right now I'm more in a mood to hit something than go in detailed explanation on Harry's dreams, Malfoys and Magnolia. Though if you ask me personally (by review, PM or email) I will most probably answer to your questions. Hours of searching for references - welcome, being lazy about using Lexicon whenever I needed references... I rather not talk about it but I think that every author who used HPL for references in their fiction stories is in similar state to mine, rather disgusted and utterly disappointed, I sincerly hope that this Harry Potter Encyclopedia of JKR is going to show up some time soon and make up for the loss of HPL. Loss of detailed timeline of each books pains me very much as well as references for names and other stuff._

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**Next chapter:** Harry and Snape go to Diagon Alley to fetch Snape's new wand (and that is going to be very interesting thing on its own, trust me) and they meet Rita then Harry pulls out another skeleton from the proverbial closet (though it's not very true but still it was funny to write it). Then there is a meeting about the kindergarten and Harry's first full moon as an animagus.

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_I sincerely apologize for keeping so many things happening in such a short amount of time - though that problem will disappear after next chapter because we are going to jump foreward few days ahead and from then the time will start flowing quicker since few things need to happen in short amount of time because I have a very specifical timeline in mind and in so far I managed to write part of a chapter which jumped ahead for almost two years - and I really needed to write it to remind me that I have a little time and a lot to do in this time._


	9. Chapter 9: Lunch at 12 Grimmauld Place

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or anything what you can recognize from the books. I do however own the plot of this story but I don't have profits because of it unless you count improving my English as a profit.

**Preview:** Harry and Snape go to Diagon Alley to fetch Snape's new wand (and that is going to be very interesting thing on its own, trust me) and they meet Rita then Harry pulls out another skeleton from the proverbial closet (though it's not very true but still it was funny to write it). Then there is a meeting about the kindergarten and Harry's first full moon as an animagus.

**So** **_read, enjoy and review (because I love to read your criticism and as long as you are logged in or I have your email I'm answering to your questions).

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_**

**Chapter nine: The Lunch at 12 Grimmauld Place.**

After kidnapping Magnolia Turner from the orphanage in Falmouth Harry, Snape and Draco, together with the kids, apparated to 12 Grimmauld Place. Of course all of them forgot that since Magnolia was oblivated she had no idea what magic was and when they stupidly apparated she got an attack of hysteria and since she started screaming like she was being skinned off alive Teddy and Duncan decided to join her.

The noise draw Hermione and Narcissa from the kitchen and upon seeing three men trying to calm down three children they exchanged a knowing look and one worded sigh, "Men!"

About a minute later Magnolia was snuggled in Hermione's arms and was only sobbing slightly from time to time. Narcissa distracted the boys with charming out bubbles from her wand and finally the room fell in semi silence.

"From three grown up men one could expect more imaginative approach," Hermione scolded them. "You could at least warn her that you are going to apparate."

"Sorry," Harry mumbled.

"Doesn't matter," Hermione huffed. "You scared her to death but she is going to be fine."

"One of you could make yourself useful and send for Blood Adoption Warrant to the Ministry," Narcissa cut in.

"I will do it," Harry offered and he gladly handed Teddy to Snape.

Sending an owl to the Ministry took him more time than it should but when he was back twenty minutes later Magnolia was sitting on Snape's knees and was clapping happily at the sight of the bubbles which Hermione and Narcissa were conjuring. Teddy and Duncan were sitting on Draco's knees and they were also clapping happily at the sight of the bubbles. Hermione and Narcissa seemed to be having a contest which one of them will conjure the more colourful bubbles, Draco seemed amused and Snape for some reason looked irked.

That's when Harry realised why Snape looked like he did. He was in a house full of wizards, and witches and he had no wand on his own. Elder Wand was back in Dumbledore's tomb and Snape's own wand was missing amongst the things which Harry and Hermione brought from Spinner's End.

Harry quietly approached the man and leaned over his shoulder as he asked quietly, "Where is your wand?"

"I didn't had it on me," Snape replied shortly.

"It was snapped, Harry," Hermione replied. "I think that you two should visit Ollivander before lunch."

Ten minutes later, huddled in enormous cloak which was covering his face Snape was standing next to Harry at the entrance to Diagon Alley.

"Are you sure?" Snape asked grimly.

"I was meaning to ask the same," Harry sighed before he tapped the right combination of bricks and the entrance to Diagon Alley had opened.

They managed to get to Flourish and Blott's seemingly unnoticed or rather Snape had gone unnoticed and in so far Harry managed to get an occasional finger pointed at him which was followed by wizards and witches whispering something to their company. In front of _Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasion_ however Harry's luck ran out and decided to take a break for second breakfast. From the shop stepped out Rita Skeeter and her eyes immediately fell on Harry.

"Harry James Black. Just the man I was looking for," she said cheerfully and she quickly approached them. "Who is your companion? You aren't hiding Ms Granger under that stuffed cloak, are you?"

"It's my resident fly-flapper," Harry commented lividly. "Old friend who is really fascinated with fly-flaps, he collects them, even gives them their own names. He just bought one and decided to name her Rita."

At that Rita's smile seemed to vanish for a moment but it came back almost immediately as she continued prodding, "I was hoping to talk to you, Harry. You see I'm writing a book about you and I need to straighten some facts. Would you mind to supply something?"

Harry was about to reply 'Bugger off!' when he realised that it would be stupid thing to do because Rita would write the book anyway. On the other hand discrediting her and making her look bad in the eyes of the public would make her less reliable for general audience.

"Oh, yes," Harry said loudly in very clear voice. "That part when I was fourteen," Rita took of her quick quoting quill and parchment and it started writing furiously, "and I had been coerced into Triwizard Tournament by Barty Crouch junior who was disguising himself as Mad-Eye Moody there was a Daily Prophet interview with all champions. But the nasty woman who was doing the interview pulled me into the cupboard and did unspeakable things to me, I was so distraught that I kept having nightmares for years but thankfully my therapist says that I'm making a progress and maybe in next five years I won't be scared of seeing a naked woman."

At that all the fuzz and buzz around them had stopped and Rita looked like she was slapped across the face. Harry barely managed to resist smirking at her and he patted Snape's arm before he walked away.

Snape caught up with him as he was passing the entrance to Gringotts and from under the cloak was coming sound of snickering.

"That was priceless," Snape managed to choke out when they stopped in front of Ollivander. "Rash and very your godfatherlike but priceless."

"I decided that making her look bad in the eyes of the public I will be having less problems with straightening the mess she was going to do with that book of hers," Harry snorted.

He pressed the handle and entered the shop. Mr Ollivander was sitting behind the counter and was lazily sleeping something from his goblet.

"Mr Potter … well Mr Black I wasn't expecting to see you," said Ollivander when he spotted Harry. "Does Mr Malfoy's wand isn't working well?"

"No idea," Harry chuckled. "After I fixed my old wand I made Malfoy disarm me and he got his own wand back. My own is working perfectly well. But a friend of mine is in need of a wand," he added.

"How can I help y … Merlin's beard," Ollivander started and judging by sudden change Snape just lowered his hood. Harry only had a moment to realise that there was a spell flying in Snape's direction and he quickly pulled older man from its way.

"Mr Ollivander, Professor Snape was on the side of light," Harry said calmly. "I thought that I made it perfectly clear more than a year ago."

"Oh, yes," Ollivander mumbled nervously. "I also thought that you made it clear that he was dead."

"That's St Mungo's to blame for declaring alive man dead," Harry said matter of factly. "So can we find a wand for him here or do we need a trip to other wandmaker?" he asked patiently.

"Yes, we will definitely find something for him here," Ollivander said, he sounded tad shocked but he busied himself with looking at the wands. "12 inches, phoenix feather, birch?"

"Worked fine," Snape admitted grimly.

"For adults the wands of the same length as their old wands are working fine," Ollivander muttered before he ducked under the counter and as he stood up he had two boxes in his hands. He handed one of the wands to Snape and added, "12 inches, phoenix feather, birch, not the same wand but its sister I had lying around for ages."

Snape took the wand but nothing had happened. He quickly returned it to Ollivander and accepted the second wand who got the same effect.

Ollivander scratched his chin and then he wandered in the back of the shop. He was absent for few minutes before he came back with two boxes.

"This two are quite unusual pair," he murmured. "12 inches, dragon heartstring, ivy," he said to Snape as he passed it to him. "Snapped in half by the Aurors, given to me back to use the dragon heartstring. I gave it the same type of ivy I used for the old wand," Snape waved the wand and all three of them had to duck from the sparks which came from the wand.

Snape showed the wand into Harry's hand. Harry accepted it and suddenly he felt familiar warmth in his hand. He looked down at it and then at Ollivander.

"Wand," Ollivander said quietly. "Mr Black are you aware to whom this wand belonged before?"

"No," Harry shook his head.

"This one belonged to Mr Sirius Black. The core is the same, as well as the part of its wood. If you look closely you will see the pieces of wood which had been replaced. That's very unusual wand, the only one which I had here which, by some sort of miracle since it isn't magically possible didn't wanted to be used as another wand. The only wand I fixed," Ollivander said gravely.

"Sirius's wand," Harry whispered and he glanced down at it.

It felt good in his hand. Not the same as his own wand but good nevertheless, comforting.

"His first wand. You may keep it, Mr Black," said Ollivander gently before he turned to Snape with another box.

Snape opened it and picked up the wand. As he grasped the wand from its end came gentle violet mist.

"That's good choice," sighed Ollivander. "12 inches, unicorn hair, rowan. I remember its first owner as if it was yesterday. Poor girl was murdered when she was twenty. I got her wand together with Mr Black's wand."

"Who was its first owner?" Snape asked cautiously.

"Mirzam Verascez," Ollivander answered.

Snape dropped the wand immediately and it clattered on the floor. Harry sighed as picked it up from the floor and extended it to hand it back to Snape. Snape accepted the wand gingerly, almost fearfully.

"That would be twenty galleons," said Ollivander.

Harry paid for the wands because Snape was busy looking at his new wand as if it was made from glass.

"It was her wand," he murmured finally when they passed the aphotecary and stopped in front of the entrance. "I should have recognise it … I'm not worth it."

"You are," Harry said. "Get it through your head, she forgave you and maybe finally you will be able to forgive yourself."

"Let me put it straight," Snape sighed. "Would you be able to live with yourself if your killed in cold blood innocent woman and her unborn child?"

Harry didn't answered, Snape had made his point. There had to be another way around the man's guilt to save his soul.

"Her name will be Mirzam Ruth," he heard his mother's voice in the back of his mind.

"Whose?" Harry replied mentally.

"Your daughter's," came the answer. "He will only forgive himself when he will see Mirzam in her eyes and he will, she is going to have her eyes."

"The dreams?" Harry asked mentally.

"Are what we made them, Harry," came cheerful reply.

"Are they prophetic or not? Why no one can give me a straight answer?" Harry huffed mentally.

"They are a test Harry. If you fail it, the repercussions will be bad but in the end everything will straighten itself, in due time. But if you succeed in the test you will be a very happy man and there will be no repercussions," his mother answered.

"What I'm supposed to expect?" Harry asked.

"Falling in love, if you can keep your feelings in cheek until the date of the final test you will succeed but if you succumb … you will sign your name on the dotted line and no one of us will be able to help you … Except Sirius," came the answer.

"Why him?" Harry asked.

"Think about past few months Harry and tell me why?"

"Because I reach for him first?" Harry asked.

"Because you and Sirius have more in common than you dared to think about. Because if you fail the test the change will be complete."

"What change?"

"The answer lies in the mirror," said his mother and her presence left Harry for good.

* * *

Dismissing the conversation with his mother was the hardest thing Harry had done in last few months but he reasoned that since he didn't had feelings for anyone right now there was no problem.

He spent half of hour in the bathroom, firstly glaring at the mirror and then at shaving himself because the roguish stubble reminded him too much about Sirius and while he loved his godfather with all his heart he really didn't wanted to become him.

After all what life had in store for Sirius? Mad, abusive family, rough life, the source of happiness snatched away from him, his girlfriend dead, his unborn son gone, then losing his friends, twelve years in Azkaban and even his last years were either spent on the run or at being prisoner in his own house. Harry didn't wanted his life to be like Sirius. He had lived through Voldemort, he had his godson now, Hermione was around and he had friends.

'But for how long?' asked the tiny voice in his head, the one which wasn't associated with anyone. 'How long you are going to be happy? How long it will take before your girl will be brutally murdered, your unborn son dead? How long till they lock you in Azkaban for a crime you didn't commit?'

"Go hang yourself!" Harry growled at the voice and it vanished.

He got downstairs and already had found Neville and his grandmother. They greeted him quickly and before they had a chance to say something else Harry spotted Hannah Abbot and Susan Bones, two blonde haired girls greeted him happily before they went to greet Hermione.

Right after them came Parvati and Padma Patil, they were both dressed in saris.

"We escaped home," Parvati said in a tone like it would explain everything.

"Our father had an idea for both of us to marry men who could be his fathers," Padma added. "We are staying at the Greengrasses for now. Daphne is going to follow us in a moment."

As if for confirmation the flames burst and dark-brown haired girl landed on the floor.

"I should be born as a muggle," the girl huffed to herself.

"Are you fine Daphne?" asked Parvatii.

"Fine, though you should use Cushioning Charm on that part of the floor in front of the fireplace," the girl replied and she gave Harry impish smile.

"I will keep it mind next time," Harry chuckled.

He didn't had time to add anything because the flames burst once again and on the floor had landed Justin Finch-Fletchey with red-haired girl with blue eyes on the top of him.

"And a ward to have only one person flooing at time," Hermione added with a grin. "Hey Mandy! Hey Justin!"

"Hey Harry, Hermione! Long time not see you," mumbled Justin after the girl collected herself from the top of him.

"Nice to see you again," Mandy mumbled nervously.

The flames flashed again and Mrs Diggory stepped from the fireplace, she was followed by Mr Diggory. Since the last time Harry saw them they didn't changed even a singlest bit except few grey hairs here and there. Mrs Diggory smiled at everyone and Mr Diggory glared at Lucius. They gave small nod to the rest of the people and settled themselves at the table.

The next person to follow was a girl with long straight, jet-black hair and pale blue eyes.

"Tracey Davis," she introduced herself to the rest. "Nice to meet you."

She was followed by two blond haired girls with dark blue eyes, judging by their appearance, twins.

"Gloria and Grace Hopkins," the girls introduced themselves in unison.

Harry barely had time to shake their hands before the fire in the fireplace flashed once again and young woman with long blond hair and dark brown eyes stepped into the room.

"Sophie Anderson," she introduced herself with small smile.

"For now that's everybody who were supposed to come," Narcissa nodded, more to herself than to the rest of people. "So who is doing the talk? Hermione?"

"I can, but it was your idea," Hermione snickered. "Well, you all know that we gathered here to talk about day-care and kindergarten for wizarding children…"

"Coming," Snape cut Hermione's explanation.

Snape went down the stairs, with little Magnolia following him. He seated himself next to Harry and without a flinch he poured himself a cup of tea.

"Don't mind me," Snape mumbled before he took a sip of his tea.

"That would be hard," Harry snickered. "You are supposed to be dead."

"Technically, am I not?" Snape asked ironically.

"Point taken," Harry snickered. "Go Hermione," he nodded at her.

"Anyway up till today we have fourteen of you who agreed to help with day-care and kindergarten, these number is including one nurse and thirteen caretakers. Plus Mrs Malfoy. Mandy, I know that you have magical training…" Hermione started explaining.

"But I will be helping," Snape muttered. "I will prepare most common potions you are going to need Ms Brocklehurst, Pepper Up, Dittany Ointment, Calming Potions, Dreamless Sleep Potion – if it is needed. Plus everything else you might want to have at hand," he added calmly."

Mandy nodded slowly and she said, "I will give you full list of most needed potions by tomorrow morning, Professor."

"Snape, or if you are comfortable enough, Severus. I'm not a teacher anymore," Snape said as he gave her small nod.

"Anyway," Hermione continued. "As some of you were informed before we are having around eighty-eight children between the age of three months to six years old. Forty eight are between the age of three months and four years old and remaining forty is between five and six."

"Noted," Sophie Anderson nodded.

"The younger kids between three months and two years are very small group, barely eight in number, just barely. The kids between three and four are a bit bigger there is forty of them. Remaining forty as I said before are between age of five and six. That gives us a day-care, kindergarten and infant school. Judging from the numbers, at least for this year we are going to need two people for day-care since we don't have much children, two people will do fine with eight kids. Anyone interested?" Hermione asked bossily.

"I could do it," Mrs Diggory said quickly.

"So could I," added Sophie Anderson. "My muggle aunt gave birth to quadruples two years ago and I was helping her during the summer, shortly after they were born."

Hermione wrote something on the piece of paper in front of her before she continued, "What about the kids between three and four, there is forty of them and I would like to have at least five people with their eyes on this group?"

"Count us in," Parvati said.

"Me too," Hannah added.

"Same there," added Hopkins twins.

"That's five," Hermione muttered and she added their names to the parchment. "Another group. Five and six years old, quite challenging since they are supposed to learn how to read, write and count to twenty at least."

"Definitely in," Narcissa said quickly.

"Me too," Susan added.

"Same there," Justin added.

"In," Tracey Davis nodded.

"Dorea Forest will be there too," Hermione nodded. "Dudley, what about you?"

"I don't have papers to teach," Dudley mumbled.

"And neither do we," Susan snickered.

"I guess that I can help with minding the kids with all outside activity, if you have me. Though I would need to drop my job," Dudley mumbled.

"Is it possible for you to fly on a broom?" Draco asked curiously.

"No idea," Dudley shrugged. "On the other hand I sincerely doubt that responsible parents would let children near a broom before they are around five or six."

Hermione only raised one eyebrow at Harry.

"Happens to the best of us," Harry mumbled and blushed furiously.

"Then again, toy broomstick which doesn't go higher than two or three feet in the air won't be a problem for Dudley," Draco observed. "Especially if we charm them to keep a low speed and add magical straps to it so a kid won't fell down from it unless they are standing at the ground."

"Noted," Lucius mumbled and he scribbled something on the parchment in front of him. "Equipment, other than the one we have?"

"Well, since we are going to have children with mixed parentage I added several magical and muggle books with fairytales as well as few other magical and muggle games. It should be in your file, Lucius," Hermione said quickly.

Lucius started searching for said file in his papers.

* * *

The rest of the lunch had passed in very pleasant manner. When the business part of the lunch was done most people scattered around the house talking to each other. But Harry had no time to pay too much attention to them. The full moon was about to come and he needed to be with Teddy. Fifteen minutes before the moon had risen Harry pulled Hermione aside and told her to lock both of them in special room in the basement and not let them out until the moon had set.

He sat together with Teddy on the floor and waited. These few minutes before the moon had raised seemed like an eternity but finally it did. With heavy heart Harry watched and listened to Teddy's painful transformation but thankfully the transformation part had finished quickly. Harry himself transformed quickly into his Animagi form.

For some time they were running around the room, playing with each other until Teddy was tired and curled himself into a ball on the rug. Harry curled at his side and laid his head on the head of young werewolf.

He was asleep within seconds.

* * *

He woke up to someone crying. He quickly localised the source of the sound. It was small brown haired boy who was curled up in older Hermione's arms. Harry's older self was standing in the farthest side of the room next to young tired looking man with violet hair.

"I'm really sorry, dad," said the man, probably it was older Teddy. "I talked with McIntosh but they lost the lead. The only thing they are sure of is that it wasn't Fernir Greyback."

"Not much of a help," older Harry snorted. "Now I know how Remus felt."

"Remmy?" asked Teddy.

"Not Remmy, your father. He was calm and controlled. He was afraid of losing that control Teddy and that's what being a werewolf made him, lose control over his body, over his mind. He always feared that he had bitten someone that somehow he transpired the disease on someone else. When he found out that your mother was expecting you he freaked out, he was afraid that somehow you would manage to end with lycanthropy."

"And so he did," Harry heard familiar voice coming from behind his back. "Come with me Harry."

He turned around and saw older Remus leaning against the door which suddenly had vanished and turned into black tunnel.

"Do you know what they are?" Remus asked calmly.

"What?" Harry mumbled.

"Your dreams," Remus answered simply.

"They are dreams, aren't they?" Harry asked. "They are prophetic, aren't they? No one is giving me a straight answer here," he said nervously.

"You were always the boy of the prophecies, Harry. Three in particular. The one which put an end to Voldemort and two others," Remus sighed.

"There is more than one prophecy about me?" Harry asked in shock. "What they say?"

"The other two are very contradicting," Remus sighed. "But in essence they foretell either the final end to the Dark Lords or the raise of most feared Dark Lord which put an end to the world we know," he said calmly.

"Voldemort?" Harry asked.

"No, not Voldemort," Remus shook his head. "Someone much more scarier than Voldemort, in front of that person Voldemort is nothing but a spoiled kid, Harry."

"Whom?" Harry asked quietly feeling a lump gathering in his troath.

"Let me show you," Remus whispered.

Suddenly the corridor had transformed and they found themselves in Great Hall. Headmaster's chair was occupied by a lone and skinny figure with a curtain of jet-black hair obscuring the face of that person.

"Master Jartrophey," said someone fearful. "Master Jartrophey. Young master had hung himself in his Slytherin dormitory. Miss Lily had found him there. She is revived. He left the letter."

The figure had passed the piece of parchment from his shaking hands into the occupant of Headmaster's chair.

"Dismissed," said Jartrophey sternly.

The intruder wasted no time in scouring away as fast as his legs had allowed him. As the door had closed behind that person Jartrophey had started reading at loud.

_Dear father,_

_I use the word 'dear' out of family obligations which we are sharing but for not very long. Now I can speak freely what I think._

_First of all. I'm ashamed of you father. I used to look up at you in adoration when I was younger. You were our hero, but you were my hero most than you were to James or Lily. I talked with these you held dear when you were younger and they are all truly ashamed of you too. You were once a noble man with great heart. I knew that you had to have it because if you didn't …_

_You told me once during our walks that you were afraid of turning into Voldemort when you were younger. You confined that knowledge in me and not in any other person. I'm sure that this thought hardly leaves you these days. Let me tell you something, you didn't turned into Voldemort. Compared to what you have done Voldemort is nothing but a spoiled kid whining for a new toy. Voldemort never had a heart … you had it once._

_I face dead hoping that you will find your heart again and rebuild the world we know._

_Your son,_

_Albus Severus Potter_

"Fool!" Jartrophey snarled.

Harry gasped. Was it possible that this man was him? How he could turn into a Dark Lord?

No, it was a nightmare for sure. He didn't had it in himself.

The hand which was laid on his left shoulder had startled him and he looked at Remus looking for answer that this man wasn't his future self.

"For what we want most there is a cost which must be paid in the end," Remus whispered. "There are still two ways ahead of you. One is very easy road to take, it's full of happiness and no troubles, worries or fears but at its end it turns the way you are seeing now. Your happy life turns into nothing but a lie, a mirage. The other is a bumpy road full of hardship, tears and sorrows but in that one you will manage to keep you heart."

"I don't want to be a Dark Lord, Remus," Harry said fiercely. "What turned me into one?"

"Your wife," Remus muttered. "You loved her dearly until you learned that she was using love potions on you for ages. You killed her and her whole family in the scariest way imaginable. Your oldest son, James Sirius had died in her defence, he was truly her son. You became hateful and vengeful. You killed for no real reasons."

"Teddy?" Harry mumbled.

"He followed you. He is your most faithful servant. Greyback of that world…" Remus mumbled and he flinched visibly.

"Hermione?" Harry whispered fearfully.

"She died protecting her children, you had killed her personally after weeks of torture," Remus whispered.

"What I have to do to not end like that?" Harry asked hysterically.

"Make a good choice," Remus gave him small smile. "It's all about a choice."

"It always was," Harry murmured. "I wish that you were here. Teddy…"

"You are doing fine, Harry," Remus said proudly.

"I just wish…"

"I know," Remus nodded slowly. "I have one advice for you. Accept it. There are few things which won't change in this world, things with which you can't fight. Accept it, embrace it, learn to live with it and never lose your heart. But never lose hope, it will guide you through the darkness. That's true strength of a Patronus Harry, hope."

"But you said that it was happy memories," Harry said quickly.

"Similar but yet not the same," Remus shook his head. "Happy memories are just the base of learning the Patronus. But as I said before the true strength of the Patronus is hope. Wasn't it what had saved you and Sirius by the end of your third year? Hope is a beautiful thing Harry. Just another piece of advice, forget to register your animagi form."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Because you aren't ready to register it, yet," Remus gave him small smile. "I will see you soon."

Harry never felt so lost in his entire life.

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**Awaiting criticism - like always. I'm replying as long as you leave me your email or you log in while reviewing. Bring my ego down ;) Everything is appreciated and taken into consideration.**

_I know, painfully short. Happy New Year by the way._


	10. Chapter 10: The Mentor

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or anything what you can recognize from the books. I do however own the plot of this story but I don't have profits because of it unless you count improving my English as a profit.

**Preview:** Harry has his first lesson (and yes Sniffy has a very weird sense of humor here). Neville drops for a visit. Snape remembers.

**So** **_read, enjoy and review (because I love to read your criticism and as long as you are logged in or I have your email I'm answering to your questions).

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**Chapter ten: The Mentor.**

Harry sat down at the table and glared at his cup of coffee. It was his first day as a trainer and he was stuck in the worst possible part of it. It was a good thing that he didn't tell Snape or Hermione the details concerning his job. On the other hand sooner or later he would have to explain the man why his fourth year book had to disappeared and Hermione will learn the truth right about in next ten minutes.

Potions! Who asked Hopkins to get pregnant and why Falwrett couldn't keep his Quidditch equipment in his pants? Because of Hopkins state she was unable to work and was on maternity leave since yesterday and Falwrett was six feet under ground, thanks to his wife. And someone got the idea that since Harry had the best N.E.W.T's results in Potions for the last three years he would do great job as temporary Potion Master until Headmaster Boggles will find suitable replacement for at least one of the former Potion Masters.

Thankfully they weren't supposed to start with poisons. First Potion lesson in accelerated training was Polyjuice Potion and it was something Harry could do. By now he knew the recipe by heart.

He took a sip of coffee and propped himself on the chair. Falwrett in his teaching methods was closer to Slughorn than to Snape, impossible to piss out and very easy to pass. Only Harry's ambition didn't allow him to slack in that class and made him do his best, repeatedly.

His students were people whom he knew, for Merlin's sake they were only a year below him at Hogwarts, most of them anyway. They were by fourth year when Snape taught them for the last time and poisons and antidotes were studied in fourth year.

Perhaps borrowing a leaf from Snape's teaching methods will made them realise that Auror training wasn't Hogwarts.

He glanced nervously at his clothes and snorted when he saw what Hermione picked up for him. She, like Snape, didn't know which subject Harry was going to teach, he only learned about it yesterday and had roughly three hours to prepare himself. It was almost ironic that Hermione picked up for him long, black robes which looked like they came out from Snape's closet. Maybe they did, maybe they didn't.

"Aren't you supposed to have a lesson right about now?" asked Green with small chuckle, he taught law in classes. "Nervous?"

"You have no idea," Harry shrugged. "I really wouldn't mind Defence, you know, or Duelling but I hate being a temporary replacement for Potion Masters. I feel more like a student than a teacher."

"Slughorn?" Green asked curiously. "Or Snape?"

"Snape and Slughorn, Snape up to the fifth year and Slughorn in sixth," Harry replied.

"Who was the better for you?" Green asked as he and Harry stood up and slowly left the staff room.

"I have no idea," Harry shook his head. "Snape, I guess. Not a person you would like to piss off but at least he wanted us to use our brain. Slughorn was easy to pass and eventually guilty trip."

"I preferred McGonagall over Binns," Green said. "Binns could bore you to death even when he was alive but McGonagall was great."

"Were you in Gryffindor?" Harry asked curiously.

"Slytherin," Green chuckled. "Final year with Snape as the head of the house. Even a small things could set him off. I got to understand his behaviour better after I started teaching, for the first week I was a nervous wreck but I love this job."

"You never tried to change it?" Harry asked.

"Never, I wanted to be an Auror but once I started teaching I realised that it was it. As an Auror I worked in the weirdest hours possible and here I work from nine to five. I have time to spend it with my kids, attend cultural events. I wouldn't change it," Green answered.

"At least you like what you teach," Harry sighed. "I wouldn't mind Defence, really, but Potions …"

"You will get used to it, trust me," Green patted his shoulder. "Of you go, your classroom is just around the corner."

"What if they eat teachers?" Harry asked in mockingly nervous voice.

"You can always make them sick," Green chuckled. "Have a good day!"

Harry turned the corner and saw the door to his classroom. Suddenly it seemed million feet away. He glanced on his left and saw a mirror. He let his hair grow over last few months and thankfully when they were longer they didn't resembled a birds nest.

The black robes and longer hair made him almost look like a weird cross between Sirius and Snape. He smiled when he remembered what Green told him about McGonagall and Binns. It was all about a certain style.

He could do Snape's, it would be better than Slughorn's. Slughorn could be good at school but in Auror training where there was hardly a room for fun Snape's teaching methods would do better.

He grinned to himself and strode to his classroom. He opened the door, walked through it and didn't looked around until he was at the level of his desk. He turned around as he crossed his arms on his chest and surveyed the classroom.

Hermione was there, seated next to a girl which Harry remembered from brief glances over Hufflepuff table. There was also a boy from Slytherin, two boys from Ravenclaw, three girls from Slytherin, certainly not older than him and not from his year.. Few people appeared to be older than him and he quickly made a mental note to watch them carefully. In total the classroom contained twenty people.

"You are here to perfect your potion making abilities," Harry started calmly in a voice barely over the level of whisper. "Because you found yourself in accelerated Auror training it means that you had passed your Potions N.E.W.T. at least with Exceed Expectations and that's the lowest level of your work which will be expected from you in this classroom. As I said your training is accelerated one and if you cannot handle its peace then you only have a week to change it for normal three years worth training."

Someone had snorted.

"I will only say it once," Harry said coldly. "I won't coddle you, I won't pat your heads and tell you that mistakes happen. This is life and if you fuck something up you will deal with consequences. Today we will begin preparing Polyjuice Potion, it's a necessary part of your Auror equipment and you will learn how do it properly. By the end of the lesson your efforts are supposed to be navy blue and if they won't you will start to preparing them again and again until you perfect it. Begin."

He sat down at his desk and watched as the people scattered around the room, coming and going to and from the store-room.

Within next ten minutes he started walking around the room peering into cauldrons. Occasionally he stopped to correct a mistake or two but outside that everything was fine. Until he reached the last row.

Adrian Pucey was seated in the last row on the right and his cauldron was empty. Harry scowled at that sight. He knew that sometimes money changed hands and people who weren't supposed to be a part of the training somehow insinuated their way there. Too bad that Pucey entered accelerated training where Harry was the main trainer and all decisions concerning his students were his to make.

"Mr Pucey, can you tell me what it means?" Harry asked coldly as he pointed at the empty cauldron.

"It's a cauldron, Potter," Pucey shrugged.

"Firstly, it would be Mr Potter or Professor Potter, since I remember that out of courtesy trainers were called the Professors, at least when I was a trainee myself we used it. Secondly, you probably didn't skimmed through the plan which is hanging in the main hall and didn't saw that Potions are taught by Mr Black and not Mr Potter. Thirdly, why this cauldron is empty when it is supposed to contain turquoise goo, pray tell Mr Pucey?" Harry asked in the coldest voice he could come with.

"I have no idea, Potter," Pucey shrugged again.

"Very well," Harry smiled sardonically. "Since you don't want to work on the potion then you will be scrubbing the cauldrons with Mr Kelly. You will report to his office at eight o'clock in the evening and you won't leave until Mr Kelly is content with their state. And from what I know Mr Pucey, Mr Kelly can make Mr Filch the kindest caretaker in the world. Consider yourself warned, Mr Pucey, next disobeying will result in removing you from accelerated training."

"It's not Hogwarts! You cannot punish me!" Pucey sneered.

"Yes, it's not Hogwarts and yes, I can punish you. Professor Snape isn't here to keep you from punishment and even if he was …," Harry deliberately hung his voice. "The rules had changed Mr Pucey, this isn't Hogwarts and I'm not your head of the house which will coddle you and feel bad for you. If Professor Snape was here instead of me, trust me you will be out of the room after the first sign of disrespect. This is Auror training and not Hogwarts because from Hogwarts you are expected to graduate, in Auror training you are expected to do your job and doing your job well will eventually lead into graduation but if you don't do your job nobody will keep you here. That was the first and the last warning, Mr Pucey," Harry said icily.

"Damned Boy-Who-Lived," Pucey muttered.

"If you don't leave this room within ten seconds then you will be a Student-Who-Didn't-Lived. Out!" Harry snarled. "Came back when you will find your manners and adult attitude."

Pucey shrugged and slowly get out. Ten seconds had passed before he managed to collect himself and Harry hexed him out of the classroom.

Once Pucey had left the rest of the lesson flowed well and by the time it ended he had nineteen cauldrons of navy blue base of Polyjuice Potion. Two were slightly off colour, one too light and one too dark but it wasn't something which couldn't be fixed in later stage so he let them pass.

"Seventeen O's and two E's," he announced. "Good luck in your next class."

The class slowly cleared out and then only he and Hermione were left.

"I'm proud of you," she told him with small smile playing on her lips. "Snape would be proud of you too," she added.

"Snape would be rolling on the floor if he saw me," Harry chuckled. "You will be home for dinner?"

"I have Law now, then I promised to meet Luna and talk over few things," Hermione answered. "What about you?"

"I have paperwork to catch up but I will be home for tea," he answered. "Have fun with Green. He is good on first lesson. You will be rolling on the floor from laughter by the end of it and next time he will make you want to kill him," he smiled.

"Thank you for warning, Professor Snape," Hermione snickered. "I had a good feeling what to pick for you."

"Now be gone, Gryffindor. Perish from my sight," Harry chuckled.

"Yes, Professor," Hermione snickered and left the classroom.

He spent the rest of the break at putting statis charm on the cauldrons and banishing them to the storage for them. When he was done, he opened his planner: now he had second year from normal training. From notes courtesy of Hopkins he knew that by now they were supposed to deal with behaviour altering potions. Confusing and Befuddlement Draught to be exact.

The break had ended and students filled the classroom. From experience he knew that normal training took more students than accelerated one. Auror training was not only supposed to train Aurors but security agents as well. Normal training was for people who didn't decide yet what exactly they want to do after it. The list of the second year was the biggest in so far, forty to be exact.

Zacharias Smith. Cho Chang. Marietta Edgecombe. Anthony Goldstein. Theodore Nott. Blaise Zabini. Cormac McLaggen. Seamus Finnigan. Whoopee. This class was going to be a disaster. It was the best time to summon Snape in all his _charming_ glory.

"Hey Harry," Cho batted her eyelids at him.

"Miss Chang I would greatly appreciate if you started acting your age. I believe that you aren't recently graduated giggly girl but a woman," Harry sneered. "Besides familiarity breeds contempt and contempt is not something which I would like to see in _my_ classroom."

"Think you are better than us?" Zacharias sneered.

"Pray tell, Mr Smith, did Professor Hopkins specified how you are supposed to call the members of the teaching staff?" Harry asked coldly as he strode to Zacharias's bench. "I believe that the term which was actually used when I was a trainee myself was Professor and since I graduated in April I don't think that it had changed."

"Yeah, give the Boy-Who-Lived a job he doesn't even know," Zacharias snorted.

"Do I?" Harry snorted sarcastically, in coldest, cruellest tone he could master. "Pray tell, Mr Smith. What will you get if you add asphodel to infusion of wormwood?"

Smith shrugged.

"You don't know?" Harry sneered. "Then perhaps you would know where I would look for bezoar?"

"The store-room I guess," Smith shrugged.

"Can you at least tell me what is the difference between aconite and monkshood?" Harry asked coldly.

Smith didn't answered.

"And you are supposed to be in second year of Auror training," Harry sneered cruelly. "Unless I happen to suffer from amnesia all three questions should be answered by decently prepared fifth year student from Hogwarts, you silly boy. Asphodel added to infusion of wormwood together with valerian roots and sopophorous bean will give you a sleeping potion so powerful that it's called a Draught of Living Death. Bezoar is a stone which can be found in a stomach of a goat. Aconite and monkshood are one and the same plant which also happens to go under the name wolfsbane," he finished his tirade coldly.

"If I may, Professor Black," Nott mumbled. "Professor Snape would be proud of you."

"Professor Snape without a doubt will tell Mr Smith the same thing I'm saying now," Harry said coldly as he glared at Zacharias. "Grace this classroom unprepared once again, Mr Smith and you will be scrubbing dirty cauldrons for the rest of your training."

"Snape is dead," Smith snorted. "Plus he was an saddest excuse of a teacher."

"Didn't it occurred you that Professor Snape had a very good reason to be strict?" Harry sneered. "Dealing with a bunch of ignorant people who cannot tell difference between a monkshood and wolfsbane would be testing even an angles' sanity. What I'm going to say now I will say only once: cross me and you would pray that Professor Snape was here instead of me," he added icily.

"I wouldn't bet," Smith muttered.

"Detention with Mr Kelly, Mr Smith, eight o'clock and I will know if you won't show and trust me the repercussions for that will be very, very painful," Harry snarled. "Now you will all write an essay about Confusing and Befuddlement Draughts. Specifically I want to learn how much do you know about how they act and what kind of antidotes you may use on a person who took it. If I find your work adequate on your next lesson we will move to preparing the antidotes. Books away, you are working and what you learned until this point and if I heard even a smallest whisper that person is going to join Mr Smith in detention with Mr Kelly. You may begin," he added coldly.

He sat down at his desk and watched carefully as they worked in complete silence interrupted only by quills scratching on the parchment. No one had dared to say a word, good for them. By half past four a pile of forty essays were placed on his desk and he dismissed the class.

He glanced at the essays with a disgust. Next class was on Friday and he only had two days to correct them plus he had whole day tomorrow booked with third year defence, well he could make them write a paper about what they learned. More paperwork but he had next lesson with them on Tuesday.

He picked up the essays and went to the staff room. He picked up his coat and apparated home.

In the kitchen Kreacher was preparing tea for Snape.

"Kreacher can you prepare roast beef with baked potatoes for dinner? And strawberry cream for desert. Plus some sweet Bulgarian wine wouldn't hurt," he asked.

"Kreacher will prepare dinner in about hour. Does Master wants to have strawberry biscuits to his tea?" Kreacher asked.

"Thank you, Kreacher," Harry sighed. "I'll be in Master Orion's study until dinner."

He walked upstairs and shed his cloak on the nearest armchair and spent next hour at grading the pitiful attempts at essays about Befuddlement Draught.

He went downstairs for dinner and already found Snape with the kids seated at the table.

"Last time I checked my birthday was on 9th January," Snape observed curiously. "1st September aside from the beginning of the school year never was an important date in my calendar."

"Save coming back to Hogwarts it wasn't in my calendar either," Harry sighed and pulled off his glasses to rub his eyes.

"Yet Kreacher informed me that for dinner we are going to have roast beef with baked potatoes, strawberry cream for desert along with a bottle of sweet Bulgarian wine. All of them are my favourite and I find myself wondering why to prepare all three of them on the same day," Snape said curiously.

"I wanted you to have nice meal," Harry shrugged.

"Nice robes," Snape commented suddenly. "Look more like something which I would wear to class."

"They don't look good?" Harry decided to draw the moment when he would tell Snape what kind of classes he had today.

"They certainly make you look taller than you are and send clear message; do not mess with me," Snape shrugged. "From the look on your face I take that it's not easy to be on the other side of the desk."

"You have no idea," Harry sighed and he instantly corrected himself. "Actually you have. Does all students are so … so … dense?"

"First lesson of the year?" Snape snorted. "Never expect miracles during them and if you value your sanity never give them too hard or too long essays on the first lesson."

"You can tell it to remaining thirty-three essays which I have in the study," Harry snorted. "I've graded seven of them in so far and if I spend next five minutes reading them I would actually believe that lovage is actually kind of cabbage."

"I see no connection between lovage and Defence Against the Dark Arts," Snape said curiously.

"I have Defence tomorrow," Harry snorted. "Ensuring that all of them can cast spells nonverbally and having them duel nonverbally."

"What you had today?" Snape asked curiously.

"Accelerated training and later second years. Do you know Hannah Hopkins or Septimus Falwrett?" Harry changed the subject.

"Both taught Potions in Auror training," Snape sighed. "Reasonably talented Potion Masters. I read about Septimus's death, rather stupid way to die. Hopkins is going to have hard time with all four classes."

"I doubt so," Harry muttered. "In fact she isn't allowed to come even within twenty feet distance to a cauldron, that's what her Healers told her."

"Why?" Snape asked curiously.

"Apparently she is in family way," Harry snorted.

"Good for her," Snape snorted. "Every time we meet on Potions Masters conference she always moaned and groaned how much she wanted to have a baby. But if she is on maternity leave and Falwrett is dead then I wonder who is teaching potions."

"From what I know Headmaster Boggles appointed as temporary Potion Master the idiot who scored the highest grade on N.E.W.T. Potions in last three years. Pity that the poor sod was already named an Attendant of accelerated trainees, Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor and Duelling Master," Harry snorted.

"You?" Snape mumbled, his jaw was slightly dropped.

"Yeah," Harry muttered. "I better see it in my salary. I'm sorry," he sighed heavily. "I'm acting like a git and I'm sorry that you had to suffer six years with me as a student."

"It explains dinner," Snape chuckled. "You should apply for Potion Mastery, maybe not first class but if you can actually teach them something you will have no problem with the third class, if you will apply yourself better passing a second one won't be much of a problem."

"Right now I don't want to think about it," Harry admitted.

"That bad?" Snape snickered.

"I know that I don't have Potions Mastery of any kind but I was appointed as temporary Potion Master until Boggles will find suitable replacement. I know that the most of people there remember me as a student myself. I know that it isn't good for keeping authority but I guess that expecting adults to act like adults is something people actually can do," Harry sighed. "Pucey bought his way into the training, I'm sure about it. He is a total git. We started preparing Polyjuice today and he was the only person who had his cauldron empty. I sent him to Mr Kelly for the detention and I hope that next time I will see him he will act better, if not I should remind him that I have the power to kick him out of the training. Zacharias Smith pissed me off too. How this coward had made the second year of training is still beyond me and he still has the audacity to talk back."

"Welcome in my shoes," Snape snorted. "Be happy that you only have four years to teach instead of seven."

"I guess that I'm like Lupin," Harry sighed. "I want people to like me and respect me for what I do. I scared off accelerated trainees because I actually have a power over them to tell them what we expect from them. Plus most of them remember who taught them and if I make an impression that they wouldn't want to cross me they will actually pay attention."

"Scaring them off will not lead you too far," Snape mused. "I had a reputation of a big bad Death Eater to maintain when you were a student and cuddling students wasn't in my book ever. But I preferred teaching people how to learn on their own instead of spending hours at repeating them things which they could find in the books if they moved their bums to the library. Potions as subject are based on logic unlike other subjects. If A plus B equals C then C minus A equals B. The effects of ingredients can either increase their effeteness or lessen it."

"Hello," said Hermione cheerfully. "Why such sad faces?"

"I'm whining," Harry replied. "Hello Hermione. How was your day?"

"You were right about Green," Hermione said cheerfully. "He is great teacher."

"I will ask you after your next lesson with him," Harry sighed.

"Of course our Potion Master was good too. A bit edgy but since it was first lesson I think that he was just nervous," Hermione quipped. "Reminded me of my other Professor, except the glasses, his introduction lecture seemed quite familiar."

"Please do share with me, Hermione," Snape snickered.

" He started in very calm very quiet whisper: You are here to perfect your potion making abilities. Because you found yourself in accelerated Auror training it means that you had passed your Potions N.E.W.T. at least with Exceed Expectations and that's the lowest level of your work which will be expected from you. As I said our training is accelerated training and if you cannot handle its peace then you only have a week to change it for normal three years worth training. Then he added coldly: I will only say it once. I won't coddle you, I won't pat your heads and tell you that mistakes happen. This is life and if you fuck something up you will deal with consequences. Today we will begin preparing Polyjuice Potion, it's a necessary part of your Auror equipment and you will learn how do it properly. By the end of the lesson your efforts are supposed to be navy blue and if they won't you will start to preparing them again and again until you perfect it. Begin," Hermione quoted Harry's speech.

"Sounds familiar," Snape muttered.

"If you add the fact that he was dressed in black very fitted robes, long, billowing, black cloak which in total showed his bum nicely and hadn't seen a hairdresser recently he really reminded me my other Potions professor," Hermione giggled.

"You were discussing my ass?" Harry and Snape asked in unison.

"Studying session in the library when seventh year Ravenclaw were around," Hermione giggled. "Serenity Fawcett I believe, she is also in your accelerated training, Harry. I believe that the exact words were: if Professor Snape was as nice as his ass is, our lives will be much more easier. And she and her other friends were discussing you during the lunch break. They saw you at the ceremony and decided that you have great bum in your robes."

"I'm going to the next class with you in a frock," Harry muttered.

"They were really discussing my ass?" Snape asked sceptically.

"You were a runner up to Lupin," Hermione giggled.

Harry's face fell at that. Lupin was more than an ass.

"Lupin was more than an ass," he said quietly.

"I know, Harry," Hermione patted his hand. "Remus was great and kind teacher. He was also great friend and good father."

"I wish that there was a way to bring them back," Harry sighed. "Teddy deserves to have his parents. If there was a way … I would take it."

"You deserved to have your parents too," Snape said quietly. "Lupin had died in a noble death, try to remember that, Harry. He died protecting what he believed in, a world which will be a better place for his son to live. Dumbledore told me once that sometimes … someone's death was more significant than their lives, I believe that the state of his office after he said it made him acknowledge that I didn't agree with him on that statement," he snorted and paused. "But the longer I live and as much as I hate it I have to agree with that statement."

"I might agree when it comes to my parents or Dumbledore," Harry muttered. "But Sirius, Remus, Tonks or even Mirzam … their deaths were pointless."

"Mirzam's death had a point," Snape whispered. "It changed me, I killed people before her but she was the first person whose killing I truly regretted. Black died a tragic death, nothing more than an accident but it changed you," he nodded in Harry's direction. "As long as Black was there you had an adult who genuinely cared for you and showed it. After he died you changed, not for better or worse but you grew up during that summer. If Lupin's and Tonks deaths had a meaning I would say that their deaths lead to your adulthood and made you realise that there is someone who fully depends on you in your life."

"Teddy," Harry sighed.

"Yes," Snape nodded. "I think that Teddy is someone who keeps you from doing stupid and rash things. If things had gone other way I believe that Black would turn out the same way as you did."

"I miss him," Harry admitted. "I never knew my parents but I knew Sirius well enough to know that he had my well being in mind. Maybe if I used that mirror he gave me after Christmas …"

"Harry," Hermione whispered.

"I just wish that he was here," Harry sighed. "I'm able to talk with him but it's not the same. I can ask for advice but it's still not the same. I can hug him but it's not the same. When I started to live there on my own the house was so … I didn't felt it or thought about it when Hermione, Ron and I were hiding here two years ago but… I was studying in the library and I had moment when I expected him to walk through the door and tell me that it's time for dinner … or something. I wouldn't even ask Andromeda to visit the house after I finished renovation if I didn't had to tidy up the drawing-room and I happened to glance at his name on the family tree and then I … I remembered a conversation which he had with me in that room …"

"It's simple," Snape sighed. "Black was more a father to you than James ever was. James was a concept, a distant memory of something you actually were unable to remember. Black was there, he escaped Azkaban just because he thought that you were in danger, he cared for you enough to risk his freedom when he came back to England … Scotland actually."

"During Triwizard Tournament he berated me for wandering around," Harry chuckled remembering Sirius's letter. "When he had done worse things."

"Plus I believe that Black suffered a depression when he was there during your fifth year," Snape added. "I visited my family home with disgust when I had to visit it and I had to do it to ensure that my mother was fine…"

"What happened to her?" Hermione asked.

"After _He_ returned as quickly as I could I send her to Canada," Snape muttered. "From what I gathered she was still alive before the Battle of Hogwarts."

"Maybe you should try to contact her now," Hermione suggested.

"She wasn't the best mother in the world," Snape snorted. "Nor was I the best son one could imagine."

"You were neglected," Harry said quietly. "Your memories…"

"My memories showed very well how my life looked like. I was unwanted and I was the only reason my mother had remained in marriage with my father … I wish she didn't," Snape sighed. "I learned to take care of myself at early age, if I wanted food I had to prepare it … She worked for hours and my father did nothing but drunk all the money she brought home. I read somewhere than an abused child subconsciously places the blame on the parent which treats him or her worse than the other. For me it was my father … My mother was strict and hardly paid attention to me but when she was with me I could actually eat something and I wasn't beaten."

"Past is past," Harry whispered. "I hated the Dursleys, all of them. Dudley is good friend now but there is a part of me which remembers how bad things were between us. But ever since we meet again I concentrate on good things. He was pampered for nearly all his life when I was treated like a servant and a whipping-boy but he matured, he is different Dudley than Dudley I remember. Part of me pities him for bad things which happened to him, like loosing his girlfriend and being single parent but the other part of me reminds me that it's what made him mature quicker."

"That makes you better man than me," Snape sighed. "I would be happy if I never saw my mother again but the fact that you can get along with your cousin shows that you possess the greatest power in the world."

"I don't love Dudley," Harry shook his head. "I find him likeable now and he is more like friend than family member."

"I wasn't talking about love," Snape shook his head. "Yes, love is great power but far more greater power is forgiveness, Harry. Like your mother, you seek good things in people, you don't look at people and judge them by their looks, their families, their status. You make your judgements based on their behaviour."

"I'm not good judge if I managed to judge you wrong for seven years straight," Harry muttered.

"That pleases me because it means that my job as a spy was done well," Snape said. "I'm here for a week and through that week and the week before that I had experienced nothing but kindness from you even if I didn't deserve it. Let me finish," Snape raised his left hand to Harry make him stop interrupting him. "I'm not nice, I never was and I'll probably never be nice. I had my own prejudices and your actions made me consider you as a big thorn in my side. I cared for you in my own private way but seeing James in you drove me against the wall. When I was dying I realised how much of your mother and Black was in you. Black and your mother had one thing in common, they were fiercely loyal to their friends and sometimes they risked everything by sticking up to them. That night I was either too drugged by the venom or too delirious but the first moment I saw you then I saw young Black but until the moment I looked into your eyes I never suspected how much of Lily was in you."

"I looked like Sirius?" Harry asked.

Snape rolled his eyes before he explained, "If you paid closer attention to the Black family tree upstairs you will know that your father was the only son of Black's grandaunt and I remember old Mr Potter quite well, he looked nothing like his son, James always resembled his mother more than his father. Dorea Black, after her husband Potter, was a daughter of Violleta Bulstrode, Violleta was supposedly to be a bastard daughter of Daniel McMillan who fathered Melania McMillan who was Black's grandmother, Black was his father's nearly carbon copy and Orion Black was like your father his mother's son. The resemblance is almost uncanny in your case. Potter's genetic ensured that you looked like carbon copy of your father when you were a child yourself but the older you get the stronger Black genes were in you."

"How?" Harry asked.

"Your father was quite tall but if you and him were standing next to each other now you would see that you outgrew him for three inches. You are my high now, give or take quarter of inch. I'm tall for a man and I had enough meetings with your godfather when both of us were standing to notice that we were about the same high and Black was actually towering over me if I bend my back a little. Your father though tall was also quite skinny, but Black was even more skinny that he was but unlike your father he actually had muscles."

"How do you know that?" Harry asked curiously.

"Stupid bet between your father and Black in their seventh year concerning Giant Squid. Both got dressed down to their underwear. Potter was skinny and raw-boned but Black was skinny and muscled enough to look healthier from the two of them. You've got Black's ears and his arms length and as you grew up your hands more resembled Black's than your father's, you have slightly longer fingers. Plus I bet that you never had your hair cut that year and the way they are now they bring out Black genetics to the surface. You got a little higher cheekbones than your father but high enough to pass as Black's progeny," he paused to take a breath. "You walk the same way as Black always did, actually you walked like that ever since you adjusted to Hogwarts, not too long, not too short strides, but enough for you to look like you felt comfortable. Black's genetic also brought to the surface not only your godfather but also his brother, his nose and the way you try to look all innocent and failing," Snape explained.

"Does it have to do something with …" Harry started.

"Black was the most important adult in your life since you were nearly fourteen, during this short two years he influenced you greatly. He was your godfather, father figure and subconsciously you picked up his traits, plus since day one you acted like a weird cross between both Black brothers and your father. Between your father and Black, it was Black who was more daring and rash, your father was a bit more calculative when the circumstances required it from him. Your father took his abilities into account while Black was already doing what he considered as necessary. To put it on visuals, take an accident with the troll in your first year, your father would take his ability to beat the troll into account and would report missing student to a professor and boast for the rest of the week that he had done the saving. Black on the other hand as soon as that thought had entered his mind would be on his way to the bathroom leaving alarming the professors to the other students and in then end he would shrug it off because for him it would be a natural thing to do," Snape continued.

"We aren't basing it on assumptions, are we?" asked Hermione curiously.

"Actually, no," Snape snorted. "This story is actually a true one. It happened during our first year and I happened to be in that bathroom along with Mirzam, at whom I yelled during our Charms class. I had no intention of apologising but I decided to hide from the troll in the same bathroom where she was crying. Someone told Black, or he observed it by himself that Mirzam wasn't present during the dinner and he run to save distressed damsel in all his Gryffindor in shining armour glory while Potter reported that your godfather was searching for Mirzam. McGonagall had given him a good tongue lashing and when she was done he told her that he had done something which every Gryffindor in his place would do."

"That sounded a bit arrogant," Harry admitted.

"Black's arrogance when his friends were concerned was a mask for concern. Don't forget who his parents were, Harry. In most of Pure-blood families children are incapable of recognising love, they are heirs, treated like trophies and if they displease their parents they pay a very high price. Take Draco for example, you think that your animosity came from the fact that you refused to be his friend?" Snape asked.

"I guess that it had helped," Harry murmured.

"He would get over it in a matter of months. In fact, had he remained at Hogwarts during Christmas holidays he would tune off his nasty comments. But he came back, to his father who was greatly displeased that his only son was a lesser student, than, pardon my comment because I'm trying to make you see his point, than a Mudblood and had lesser popularity than a mere Half-blood who without much of an effort was very liked by professors. Lucius tuned off after _He_ returned but he had done enough damage to involuntarily push his son down the path he himself had chosen. The war had changed them greatly, they learned a very hard way that some things are more important than blood purity," Snape said pensively.

"Your godfather too, learned in a very hard way that the war is outside Hogwarts walls. You probably knew that his uncle, who was also his godfather had passed away when Black was sixteen. But you never knew how Alphard Black departed from the world."

"How?" Harry asked.

"Black had a meeting with him at Diagon Alley, a little before school had started. He was chaperoning Mirzam, at these age they fought like a cat and a dog but when it came to safety measures Mirzam relayed on Black even before they got together. Your godfather had introduced them to each other and asked older man to keep an eye on Mirzam while he would quickly jump to Gambole and Japes. They were near Fortescue and Black hardly managed to get thirty feet away from them when the Death Eaters had struck. Black came back to them and nearly got hit by Killing Curse while he tried to protect Mirzam, but the curse hadn't reached him because someone had placed himself between Black and the Killing Curse."

"It was Alphard," Hermione whispered.

"Yes," Snape nodded. "I didn't participated in that attack but I was roughly sixty feet away from Fortescue and I saw it. Mirzam had to pry him away from his body. That changed Black greatly, around his friends he hid concern under the mask of arrogance and behind the pranks. Even what he had done to me was born out of concern for Lupin, tad weird showed concern but my nosing was a threat to his friend and when his friends were concerned reasoning flew out of the window, not that there was much of it in the first place. But what happened later shaped Black into the man he was. His friends were all distraught with what happened and Black more than once was evicted from Gryffindor tower. I threw a hissy fit when Regulus brought him down to Slytherin dorm. Black remained there for a little above week, came within curfew and was gone when the first breakfast were given. Slughorn and McGonagall persuaded him to come back to Gryffindor tower but he didn't … he managed to persuade Mirzam and Terrence Galway, prefect and Head Boy to let him sleep in Ravenclaw common room on the same condition he stayed in Slytherin, back to the tower with the curfew and gone by first breakfast."

"It's sad," Hermione said. "They had no rights to evict him from the tower."

"They didn't had rights but they did it anyway. When McGonagall shooed him from Ravenclaw common room Black disappeared, no one knew where he slept but for sure he didn't slept in the castle. Later it turned out that he was using Shrieking Shack. When they chased him away from it he slept in classrooms," Snape sighed. "By Christmas the whole castle was deserted, only six of us remained behind. Mirzam with Galway in Ravenclaw Tower, Head Girl, Rachel Foster in Hufflepuff, me and Regulus in Slytherin. That's when Blackie brought him back to Slytherin dormitories. Regulus forced us to have an agreement that neither of us will go into other's way. Surprisingly Black kept to the terms of agreement and never was in my presence alone. Aside from Black the rest of remaining students were prefects but from what happened during that Christmas break made Dumbledore thing long and hard about appointing next Head Boy."

"Didn't he appointed my dad?" Harry asked.

"Eventually, yes," Snape nodded. "But I guess that the events of Christmas Eve made him consider Black as a good material for next Head Boy."

"What happened?" Harry asked curiously.

"Over the years we had very weird people for Defence Against the Dark Arts instructors, they knowledge might have been questionable but never their loyalty. Lawkins who taught us in our sixth year was downright bastard with not much of knowledge. He hung himself three months after he landed in Azkaban. Amongst the students there was a rumour that he would never let a pretty girl pass him without troubles. We didn't knew the essence of the rumours but on Christmas Eve when Regulus brought his brother to our patrol we learned the extent … Lawkins was a son of a bitch who once he picked a pretty girl didn't let her get away very far … That night we patrolled East Tower, practically deserted these days as it was back then. Regulus and I stayed at the base of the tower while Black went up to check if everything was fine up there. As soon as he reached the top he called for one of us to come upstairs and the other to alarm Dumbledore, McGonagall and Flitwick."

"I will never forget what I saw that night when I get to the tower. Black was crouched next to Mirzam in a pool of blood. She was sobbing in his arms and shaking as a leaf on the wind. I could hardly hear what she was saying but I heard the excerpts: Lawkins, office, since September, rape and enough …" Snape shuddered. "I managed to patch up her slit wrists before she would end under Poppy's care. But I never saw so much hate on someone's face as I saw on Black's face that night. We managed to get her halfway to Hospital Wing before the teachers reached us. As soon as she was under Poppy's care Black left the hospital on a speed as if he was chased by a horde of devils … Dumbledore and I ran after him, we managed to reach him just in time to save Lawkins's life, otherwise Black would pummel him to death … after that Black hardly left Mirzam's bedside."

"Years had passed before Dumbledore told me that the only reason why your father received Head Boy badge instead of your godfather was that Black grew up too quickly. Dumbledore had weird way of appointing Head Boy and Head Girl: some received the badge because they earned it through their hard work; some because they needed responsibilities to grow up and some, like your godfather could, earned it because of their bravery. In the end the need to make your father grow up made Dumbledore give the badge to him instead to your godfather even if by book Black had more rights to receive it. Yes, he endangered someone's life but his thoughtfulness had saved another life. You need to understand that if it wasn't for him Mirzam wouldn't live through that night. When the school was deserted the patrols never extended to towers. If Black didn't checked the tower that night we wouldn't know that Mirzam was missing until breakfast and by then she would be dead."

"It had to be hard," Harry sighed. "In a span of few months he lost his godfather, almost killed you and almost lost the girl he loved."

"He grew up," Snape nodded. "Around his friends he hid it under the mask of cheer but as soon as he was out of their eyesight his features hardened, his eyes lost their mirth, he was more closed, more controlling of himself. You didn't even realise how much like him you get as you grew older," he sighed. "If something gave me the idea how much both of you were alike it was that Sectumspempra disaster during your sixth year. The same panicked look … realisation sinking that your actions nearly lead to someone's death. If a brush with painful death was worth something it was worth seeing panic on Black's face when the realisation dawned on him."

"But he didn't try to set his actions right. It was my father who saved you," Harry said.

"Everyone including James Potter believed it, Harry," Snape snorted. "Hovering in limbo for fifteen months with no one but Regulus Black for companion sets you straight on some points. Having no better things to do we discussed our lives as far as our memories reached. Amongst few embarrassing things about your godfather I learned a very curious fact. Black in his anger at me putting my nose in not my business send me to Shrieking Shack on full moon night but it wasn't your father who risked his life to pull me out from Shrieking Shack before Lupin made me his dinner. From what I know, Black had informed your father about his plan to send me where he did but your father only shrugged and said, 'Good idea, he deserves it.'"

"He didn't," Harry whispered.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Snape sighed. "He did. But your godfather driven by remorse had talked with someone whom your father had brushed aside as not important person. Separated by everything which they put between themselves or which was put between them, your godfather and Regulus still remained brothers. When James's reaction didn't calm down his conscience your godfather had went to his brother … They worked on little time. It was obvious that I wouldn't listen too Black. Black lured James out of the tower and let his brother ensure that James won't be moving too much. Equipped with Polyjucie your godfather as James went with rescue mission while Regulus remained in the tower as Black. It makes sense because during that madness which erupted afterwards I distinctly remember that when no one was looking I saw both of them drinking something."

"Why they did it?" Hermione asked. "Why they pulled out this whole masquerade while one of them could come to the rescues while the other alerted teaching staff?"

"Two reasons," Snape muttered. "Reason number one: I wouldn't listen to Black and in the end would get both of us killed. Reason number two: Regulus was Black's brother, despite animosity between them Black would never want to hurt him or live with knowledge that his actions lead to his brother's premature death."

"But his death still was premature," Harry said.

"Indeed but Regulus was a master of his own death. Black had nothing to do with Regulus's death, in fact he was too grief-stricken to stop Regulus from dying," Snape nodded. "That Christmas time during the year before you were born took a tool on your godfather which left marks deeper than twelve years in Azkaban. In a span of a week he lost his girl, his brother and his father, three people about whom aside from his friends he cared the most in the world."

"Hello," Harry heard Neville's cheerful voice. "Bad time?" he asked after a short pause.

"No," Harry shook his head. "How was your first day, Nev?"

"I have a question for Professor Snape," Neville said as he sat down.

"Go on," Snape sighed.

"Sir, when you were introduced to the students you didn't feel a deep unyielding need to turn on your heel and run away as fast as you could?" Neville asked.

Snape looked pensive for a moment before he burst in laugh.

"Even worse," he said after he managed to calm down a bit. "I told Albus that under the pain of death he wouldn't drag me into the Great Hall before the feast. He glued me to the chair next to him and didn't release the hex until I had to stand up to show myself. But I admit, I had that urge two years ago," he paused. "Great Hall full of students, half of them look like they would want to use me as test subject for casting Killing Curse, Headmaster's chair feels like blazing fire, the rest of the staff look like they are considering poisoning … I heard small voice in the back of my mind which told me that it's not too late to run away and hide myself under Fidelius Charm in Tibet."

"But you stayed," Neville said.

"I stayed on Dumbledore's orders," Snape said quietly. "Me asking for being Headmaster of Hogwarts was a part of Dumbledore's plan. He was dying … very slowly … very painfully. It angered me to be used as a tool in his plan. But students needed protection and from all _His_ Death Eaters I was the only one who could make sure that they were protected. _He_, himself didn't want to plant himself as Headmaster, if he did so it would be a sign for many parents to pull their children out from Hogwarts and that wasn't his plan … But his most faithful servant as Headmaster … it gave _Him_ desired amount of power over school, except _He_ didn't calculate into his plan that his servant wasn't as faithful as he assumed. Appointing the densest Death Eaters from the whole bunch as members of teaching staff was a risky move but it paid off. Persuading _Him_ that keeping Minerva as Deputy Headmistress would ensure that the number of students wouldn't decrease too much was even riskier but paid off well too."

"It was brilliant," Neville nodded. "It screws the other way, dimwit," he chuckled. "When we had stolen the sword I though that we were going to die. My life literally had flashed in front of my eyes and then: _detention with Professor Hagrid_."

"If you don't like it I'm sure that Professors Carrow can find a free spot for the three of you," Snape muttered.

"No, thank you Headmaster, I think that Professors Carrow have so much to teach that it would be unfair for them to have them supervise a detention," Neville replied nervously.

"If I thought that Harry was a thorn in my side for six years you had proven that year that I underestimated you greatly," Snape chuckled. "I'm sorry Headmaster but I heard that some students had locked Professors Carrow in the broom-closet. I tried very hard but I cannot open it."

"But it beats me who slipped Vomit potion into their breakfast on the day we were supposed to have a lesson about Unforgivables with them," Neville chuckled.

"Concerned Headmaster who decided that students aren't supposed to be used as test subjects," Snape snorted. "Never underestimate a Potion Master."

"That was cool," Neville snickered.

"Thank you Mr Longbottom," Snape chuckled. "I balanced on a very thin line but sometimes I couldn't stop myself … the excitement of seeing your prank working … pity that Black couldn't see it. I remember that in your fifth year Minerva kept muttering that she is an inch away from letting your godfather into the castle under Polyjuice. I had half a mind to let myself do it for her."

"I thought that you wished each other a very painful death," Neville said curiously.

Snape rubbed his scared throat and sighed, "For the most of the time, yes. But there was only one matter on which we both agreed, vehemently."

"What?" asked Hermione.

"The right question is whom," Snape said quickly. "From the first meeting of reformed Order of the Phoenix, here in this house, Black and I agreed on several things. First, was presence of Molly Weasley in the Order or rather the lack of thereof. During the first war there was a rule that people with children aren't allowed to join. Things were different if someone from the Order had children after joining it but the rule remained. Children meant removal from field work, Dumbledore didn't want to risk them getting orphaned. For that reason the Weasleys weren't in the Order during the first war, too many small children. Dumbledore's idea to invite them to the Order more than once came back to bite him that year."

"But Mrs Weasley was always nice," Neville said.

"Molly was liability, I guess that Arthur, Bill and Charlie were worth having her in the Order but sometimes I wondered that the price was too high," Snape sighed.

"Why?" Harry asked.

"From day one when we gathered the pawing had started. If subject of prophecy was brought up … it got even worse. From day one Molly objected to revealing it to you, claiming that you were too young for that. If she could she would bundle you in a blanket and shield you from _Him_ on her own. Alas considering all circumstances it was incredibly stupid idea. All members of the older part of the order was asked for an advice on this subject. Most of them had claimed that it would be too much of a burden and agreed with Molly. Black and I had another idea."

"Why?" Harry asked again.

"Because considering your battles with _Him_ at age of nearing twelve, thirteen and fifteen, also taking in account that you witnessed the come back of the Dark Lord, both of us decided that knowing why Dark Lord desired you so greatly was something you should know. Our idea was to inform you about the part of the prophecy which was already known to Order and Dark Lord. Molly didn't like it and objected our idea vehemently. If she wasn't there things could end differently…" Snape sighed. "She defied Black whenever he tried to make a decision concerning you, she accused him of not being there when you needed him the most while the blame, mostly, was on her."

"How?" Hermione asked.

"Think," Snape said briskly. "Where Pettigrew was hiding for twelve years?"

"At the Weasleys," Hermione said.

"For twelve years," Snape snorted. "Molly is nothing but a filthy hypocrite. When you were concerned she would be the first person to jump to your defence even when you didn't need defending but when it came to her own children …"

"She pisses me off but I don't think…" Harry started.

"Think about it, Harry, twelve years," Snape repeated firmly. "What kind of mother allows her children to keep an animal of unknown origin in her house? Any woman with half of a brain after finding a stray animal in her home would for safety measures check if the animal doesn't happen to be an Animagus. But even if she didn't do it, her conscience would make her research basic information concerning animal in question. For example: what it eats, how long it lives. If I was in Molly's place I might not examine the animal at the beginning but after small research I would eventually learn that normal rat with no magical ability lives two to three years, four if he is lucky. After four years of housing the rat I would at least begin to question its magical abilities and first thing I would try would be Animagi Reversal Spell which is basic transfiguration. Molly in her hypocrisy accused Black of not being there when she was partly responsible for that, though I doubt that this thought ever occurred her."

"You have a point," Hermione sighed.

"I know it and so did Black. I assure you more than once that sentence was on the tip of his tongue but your attachment to the Weasleys had kept him from saying that. When it came to you, Harry, your godfather was full of contradictions, when you were concerned all reasoning flew out of the window and at the same time when he discussed matters concerning you he used logical, self-explanatory arguments. I wasn't convinced myself of the idea of revealing part of the prophecy to you but after the first meeting had ended Black told me to stay behind because he needed to push an idea at next meeting and he wanted someone to listen if it wasn't completely insane. Curiosity made me stay behind and listen to him when he explained point after point his reasoning. He wanted open criticism of the idea and if he had gone to Lupin there were two options; Lupin would agree with him or let him know what he thought about it but at the same time he would be trying to not make him feel bad. What Black didn't calculate was the fact that on this matter we thought in the same pattern."

"I bet it surprised him," Harry smiled pensively.

"I believe that he said that last time he checked sun was circling the earth from east to west not the other way," Snape snorted. "Nevertheless together we prepared long and detailed plan which got shot down by Molly and everybody who considered you as a toddler. On the long run their choice was worse than ours. Informing you about prophecy, the part which was known to us was logical reason. If you knew about existence of the prophecy in the Department of Mysteries we could start teaching you Occlumency sooner. If you knew that you needed to master it to know the rest of the prophecy you would master it. If you mastered it then the Dark Lord wouldn't lure you to the Department of Mysteries. If you hadn't gone to the Department of Mysteries, Black wouldn't duel with Bellatrix in Death Chamber. Ergo on the long run Molly's obsessive desire removed from the scene your godfather which in the end allowed her to have some power over decisions concerning you, but only to certain extent because Dumbledore saw the hole in the reasoning from the previous year and tried to fix it."

"Sirius wouldn't have gone to Department of Mysteries if someone didn't goad on his disability to help the Order too," Harry said sourly.

"You live under delusion that delivering the news in other way than '_your idiotic godson had probably gone to Department of Mysteries with five other students, I can't find them on the grounds so someone better check if they aren't where I think they are_' would make Black sit on his bum?" Snape snorted. "Nothing short from binding him to the table would work. When your safety was concerned Black operated on his parental instinct alone."

"And he wasn't the only person who was doing it," Snape sighed. "Take the end of your third year for example: why do you think that two idiots went after you as soon as it became evident that you had disappeared from the school grounds? Why some people were ready to make an ass of themselves on a broom just because a certain idiot almost killed you on the last match? Why some people decided to endure the torture of Lockhart's presence for two hours and the possibility of having a heart attack at ripe old age of thirty-two only to ensure that you knew essential spells in defence? Why some people searched the castle from the top to the bottom when they discovered that together with missing Lockhart who was not much of a loss were missing two students aside from the one which was taken by the Slytherin Monster? Why throw a hissy fit when you left the school when you weren't supposed to leave it without permission which you didn't had? Why some people decided that O.W.L. s and N.E.W.T.s students weren't as important as teaching you Patronus Charm? Why some people almost broke Dumbledore's nose when they learned that he had done nothing to a teacher who was using Dark Artefact on students? Why give away private time for Occlumency lessons? Why spend time between the werewolves while researches was your strongest field? Why a certain potions book happened to be laying in stack of books for students the same year when Slughorn, who despite better teaching manners lacked to see small fact that ignorance in potion making equals a disaster? Why said book was spelled to react to your touch only before it was opened? Why some people endured a year of Slughorn's singing praises to anyone who was listening about outstanding potion making ability of a student which in fact could be a good potion maker if instead of thinking about one hundred and one ways to kill a Potion Master actually paid some attention to directions on the blackboard?"

"Black was named your godfather but Black wasn't the only person who felt responsible for you. Dumbledore almost gave the three of us a heart attack when he stated that if he didn't know better he would say that you had three godfathers. I believe that three Stinging Hexes persuaded him that it wasn't a matter for jokes. In the end he was right …" Snape snorted. "But only Black was able to show his concern about you in a normal way. I had to guard myself closely and Lupin had problems with opening himself to the others."

"Sounds that for each of you Harry was more than godson," Neville commented.

"Yes," Snape muttered. "Each of us considered you," he motioned at Harry, "as a son neither of us had a chance to have. Me, because if it wasn't for my stupidity I might have been your father, Black because great part of him considered you as his lost son, Lupin because he saw you as his son and if it wasn't for his condition he would actually succeed in becoming your guardian, against Dumbledore's wishes. Practically from day one you were doomed with three prats who would be ready to give you everything you desired."

"But … but you told Dumbledore that you never cared, that as long as mum would make it…" Harry mumbled.

"When I first came to Dumbledore I weighed possibilities," Snape sighed. "One of two living, three in total, boys of prophecy. I believed in Dumbledore's abilities but I also saw _His_ actions. Your parents could be saved but you yourself was doomed from the start. I begged Dumbledore to save her life because the earth would start spinning the other way if I admit at loud that I didn't want to have your father's death on my hands and in the end I had to do it. I asked for Lily believing that Dumbledore would find a way to save you too, if he didn't the matter was lost but he did … By the time he asked if I care I became a Master Occlumens and whatever I cared or not was my private business not Dumbledore's. You don't spend twelve year watching over someone without learning to care for them, you don't take lightly information that your child, whom you sometimes want to whack across the head for stupidity and hug in next moment, was brought up and protected, by risking your own life repeatedly, was supposed to be killed in the right moment…" Snape's voice as it reached the last sentence was on the level of whisper.

Hermione sniffled, Neville cleared his throat and Harry felt prickling in the corners of his eyes.

"To cast Killing Curse you need to use hate," Snape whispered. "Righteous anger won't get you too far. You need hate that person, truly hate them. Until the moment I saw him dying I wasn't sure that I was able to do it, that I would be able to follow his orders … over that year he kept asking me what I used to kill him, not as a spell, but memory which triggered enough of hate to cast Killing Curse. I told him that I used the memory of being sent to spy on Dark Lord again after he returned … he never knew and will never know that what killed him was the memory when he sentenced you to die from Voldemort's hand."

"At times you piss me off to the third degree, even now," Snape snorted softly. "But I don't need Dumbledore to know what kind of person you are, Harry. When I knew that I had to act like a bastard to you I decided to test on Dumbledore the extent of my ability to lie. If I made Dumbledore believe that one of my greatest desire was drowning you in a cauldron then I could fool anyone."

"Not me?" Neville chuckled.

"After first lesson I thought that I wouldn't need to throw you there," Snape snorted but not in the mean way, fond better suited to name it. "All I had to do to stand behind you and say _boo_."

"I wouldn't drown in the cauldron then, I would topple it," Neville snickered.

"What irked me the most about you was the fact that you possessed half of qualities to become decent Potions Master," Snape said pensively. "Extensive knowledge in Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures is necessary basic for a decent Potion Master and from what Pomona told to anyone who wanted to listen that she could have given you the test for First Class Mastery in Herbology and you would have passed it with the highest marks and since I heard that tirade from your fifth year I'm more than sure that you would do it."

"I have Second Class," Neville mumbled. "I scheduled the exams for First Class Mastery for Christmas break."

"I would advise Third Class Potions Mastery to that," Snape said pensively. "The rules hadn't changed and Third Class exams ever since I remember were based on herbal potions only and unless my memory fails me that was something which you were decent in the class."

"I'm not sure that I will have a chance to prepare any potions, sir. Professor Slughorn seems content with his post and from what Professor McGonagall said decent Potions Master are very hard to find," Neville said sceptically.

"Even more reasons to pursue that career," Snape sighed. "Horace isn't getting younger everyday. He is strong enough to fool around for next few years but with time his age will take a tool over him. First Class Potions Masters these days are hard to find indeed, but to my knowledge your lessons in potion making during whole seven year course never went farther than Second Class Mastery material, with occasional mention of a potion or ingredient from First Class Mastery curriculum but nothing too hard to find."

"You really think that I could pursue that career?" Neville asked.

"Today I learned that a student who never felt very interested in potion-making career took place, temporary but still, of two Potions Masters with First Class Potions Mastery in Auror training I feel that someone whom I can give a test for Third Class Potions Mastery exam right in this moment should do fine," Snape shrugged.

"Oh, I heard that Boggles is looking for Potions Masters, at least one, from Professor Hopkins today. Professor McGonagall had hired her for Muggle Studies because of her condition and the death of the other was all over the Prophet yesterday and today but I wasn't aware that they managed to find replacement that quickly," Neville said.

"They are still looking for one," Harry muttered grimly. "But since Boggles couldn't leave four years without a supervisor in Potions he decided that the idiot who scored the highest grade on Potions N.E.W.T. and was available would do good. He forgot that said idiot already was hired to teach two classes before he informed him that he would be temporary Potions Master."

"Weren't you supposed to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts and Duelling in the training?" Neville asked.

"I was," Harry snorted. "Until yesterday evening. _My dear boy, from what I checked temporary you are the best applicant for Potions. I know that I already had given you two classes but Potions Masters don't grow on trees and I need a supervisor_ … Pretty much sums it up."

"He was good," Hermione said briskly. "Nervous but commanding. Everyone done more or less well under his supervision."

"That remains to be seen," Harry muttered and at surprised look on her face he added, "Your class was good and you know it. It's the second year which worries me. In so far after reading their essays it proves that someone in the Ministry had a very stupid idea with allowing to let join the Aurors people who didn't passed Potions O.W.L."

"Why?" Neville asked. "What makes you think so?"

"Can you please tell me what a lovage is?" Harry asked.

"Lovage, Levisticum officinale, is a culinary and medicinal herb from the carrot family. Native to southern Europe but adapted quite well to British climate which makes it a common plant. Most efficacious in the inflaming of the brain. Because of that it's one of the main ingredients in Confusing and Befuddlement Draughts. Fifth year material in Potions as far as my memory serves me right," Neville said quickly without a moment of hesitation.

Snape exchanged 'I told you so' look with Hermione.

"Why are you asking?" Neville shrugged.

"Because seven essays which I corrected until dinner almost managed to persuade me that lovage actually is a kind of cabbage," Harry snorted. "That's not the worse. Big part of that class are people who are either our age or older or younger for a year."

"From the look on your face I take that you want to finish them as soon as possible," Neville chuckled.

"I'm that obvious?" Harry groaned.

"Yes," Neville snickered. "Put your godson to bed and bring them over. Where Herbology is concerned I can help."

"I was waiting for him to ask for help," Snape chuckled. "I will put Maggie to bed too and I can help you."

"But they need to have my marks on them," Harry mumbled.

"Bring loose pieces of parchment. We will write the name of the author on it and list mistakes which we will circle with red ink. I doubt that they would guess that you didn't corrected them all by your own in these way, especially if you will write detailed explanation where they went wrong," Snape snorted.

"Thank you," Harry mumbled. "I thought that I would have to sacrifice two nights for that."

Twenty minutes later after putting kids to bed they came back to the kitchen. The table was stacked under parchment and four inkpots with red ink. Fifth year textbook was lying on the table along with One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. Hermione prepared big kettle of tea and four cups.

For few minutes they worked in comfortable silence and the only sound in the room was the sound of quills scratching on the parchment. Suddenly Snape started laughing, he laughed so hard that he nearly slipped from his chair.

"Would it be considering as losing my remaining sanity if I admitted that I miss it," he chocked out.

"What exactly?" Harry asked curiously.

"The belief that I used to grade homework by standing on the top of the stairs and throwing it down, assigning the grade according to distance on which they fell," Snape snorted. "Here listen to that: Potter, you dimwit Snape kicked the bucket and sniffles the daises from the other side, if you think that assigning the grade basing on the steps on which the essay had fallen is good grading method then you have more in common with the Greasy Git than you wish. If you think that you can dress in black robes and pull Great Bat of the Dungeons on us you are grievously mistaken. Courtesy to Zacharias Smith."

"What about actual essay?" Hermione asked.

"I'm working on that," Snape snickered. "I will give you Great Bat of the Dungeons."

"Zero?" Neville asked.

"I don't know," Snape shrugged. "I will rewrite whole essay judging from what I already saw since the remarks are at the end of the essay. Mr Smith will be seeing red, literally."

"Somehow I'm not pitying him," Harry grinned.

"The highest time to start not pitying people who don't deserve it, that goes to the both of you. Mr Smith had brought it all on his own wish…" Snape muttered. "Dear Mr Smith …" he sighed and started scribbling on the free parchment.

Working on eight essays instead of thirty-three was far more easier. Snape snatched uneven essay to himself and bet them that he would finish correcting all of his long before them. He was of course right, teaching Potions and correcting mountains of homework for sixteen years made him far more quicker than them. Harry of course knew it but he didn't suspect that Snape aside from correcting mistakes concerning the subject of Potions also started correcting the grammar and the form of the essays and by the time Harry, Hermione and Neville were done with theirs he was nearly at the bottom of Neville's stack correcting grammar and their form.

Since the hour was quite early Harry started marking the essays along with adding explanations for assigned grades. Neville bid them goodbye and Hermione retired to the library to study for next lesson in Law. Snape had remained behind and finished correcting grammar mistakes. When he was done he slipped to the study for Harry's curriculum and started writing something furiously on the parchment.

"Done," he sighed triumphantly as Harry put aside fifteenth fully graded essay on the pile.

"Would you mind if I asked what you were doing?" Harry asked tiredly.

"Making your life easier," Snape replied. "I leafed through curriculum and added notes to each lessons. Things you should pay special attention to, possible essays, several topics for them, you pick them."

"Why don't you simply apply for the position?" Harry asked curiously. "You are feeling well from what I see and Boggles needs a real Potions Master not a greenhorn who cannot get through a lesson without blatant directions."

"I thought about it," Snape admitted. "I miss being in contact with potions. I know what you will say about me being cleared from all charges but I don't feel comfortable enough to leave the privacy of this house. Enough people know that I'm alive for me to not feel lonely. Plus from what I know I have more than two years of unused vacation to spend the way I want …"

"I bet that you will be bored by the end of October," Harry chuckled.

"What about the price?" Snape asked briskly.

"If you lose you will teach me how to fly without broom," Harry said quickly.

"If you lose you will start studying to Potions Mastery exams," Snape said briskly. "And you will take Ms Granger for a date."

Harry had a very bad feeling about that bet but dismissed it quickly.

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**Awaiting criticism - like always. I'm replying as long as you leave me your email or you log in while reviewing. Bring my ego down ;) Everything is appreciated and taken into consideration.

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**_Sniffy's Random Ramblings:_

_Snape is getting a bit out of character, on the other hand he is allowed to do whatever he wants, being a free man and able to live his life fully for once does that to you so if I will hear about OOC Snape I will say: good timing. If you find this chapter weird then next one will surprise you even more._

_Again I put one day in one chapter, but the time actually flows here. When I wrote the last sentence of this chapter I decided that it would be too long if I added Hermione's birthday to it, plus Hermione's birthday deserve separate chapter and the mood in that one is very different from this one. Here is time for reminesence, dealing with past. Next one will be much more cheerful and funny.

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_**Next chapter:** Entitled: _Happy Birthday, Hermione_! (or something along this line). Hermione's birthday and few days before it. Snape is on sugar high which pisses Harry off, plus he suddenly decides that Harry needs a matchmaker (poor Harry is too blind to see it for the most part of the chapter). If the chapter itself won't be too long I hope that we are finally going to see actual romance going. Hermione gets severely frustrated when Harry and Snape try their best to keep her birthday party as a secret. Considering what is going to happen in this chapter there will be switches between point of vision, necessary for the flow.

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_**Before I forget - Happy Valentines my dear readers.**_


	11. Chapter 11: Issues with Footwear

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or anything what you can recognize from the books. I do however own the plot of this story but I don't have profits because of it unless you count improving my English as a profit.

**Preview:** Harry has problems. So does Hermione.

**So** **_read, enjoy and review (because I love to read your criticism and as long as you are logged in or I have your email I'm answering to your questions)._**

_Dedicated to **sarah_rose76646** for whacking my head. I hope that you will enjoy that - I did when I was writing it (few months ago)._

**_

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**Chapter eleven: The Issue with Foot-wear.**

If Harry had hope that Snape would get bored quickly and will apply for the position of Potion Master in Auror training then by the Friday before Hermione's twentieth birthday his hope had died a very painful death. Actually it was dying slowly for last two weeks.

Snape, away from pressure of spying and teaching, acted almost like a kid on sugar high. By first Monday of September Hermione gave him clean bill of health and allowed him to get out, which he did, and quite often on that.

From Narcissa, Harry learned that Snape was often visitor in the kindergarten, evenings he spent with Neville wearing poor Neville down to persuade him to apply for Potion Mastery exams. Between supervising walks with kids from kindergarten he frequently baby-sat Teddy, Magnolia and Duncan, brewed potions for kindergarten and together with Neville were restocking Hogwarts' potions supply. Another meeting with Harry's curriculum for Potions lessons had ended with its complete rewrite. In the meantime he took Harry's suggestion to heart and started writing a first year book for Potions, altering mistakes, explaining why certain actions were better than the others.

So in the end Snape could be summed up as anything but not by the word bored. By 17th September, Friday, part of Harry had admitted defeat and he came back home with book concerning the subjects on all three exams for Potions Mastery. He didn't had a chance to leaf through them because Snape together with Kreacher were in the middle of preparing Hermione's birthday party. Harry almost forgot about them under all stress he was under for last two and half of a week. Thankfully Snape had reminded him, though in not too kind way.

"I hope that you have a present for Miss Granger, Harry," was how he was greeted when he walked into the kitchen on Friday afternoon.

Harry's mouth dropped. He forgot about Hermione's birthday.

"Change clothes, eat a sandwich and hurry before the shops get closed. I'm not letting you in without a proper present," Snape said briskly and he hurried to the stove.

Harry took Snape's advice to heart and after twenty minutes he was out. He hardly managed to get into the car when into the car jumped balding blonde man with blue eyes.

"On a second thought, heavens knows what you might buy for her on your own, a book probably," the man said.

"She likes books," Harry mumbled.

"She isn't a student anymore," polyjuiced Snape sighed. "She is a woman," he said in tone which indicated that Harry never knew about it. "Just shut up and listen," he added quickly and pushed a compact cassette into the player and turned the radio on.

Harry turned the engine and a song started playing:

_To really love a woman,_

_To understand her,_

_You've got to know her deep inside_

_Hear every thought,_

_See every dream,_

_And give her wings when she wants to fly_

_Then when you find yourself lying helpless in her arms,_

_You know you really love a woman_

_When you love a woman,_

_You tell her that she's really wanted_

_When you love a woman,_

_You tell her that she's the one_

_She needs somebody, to tell her that it's gonna last forever_

_So tell me have you ever really...really, really ever loved a woman_

_To really love a woman,_

_Let her hold you,_

_Till you know how she needs to be touched_

_You've got to breathe her, really taste her_

_Till you can feel her in your blood_

_And when you see your unborn children in her eyes_

_You know you really love a woman_

_When you love a woman,_

_You tell her that she's really wanted_

_When you love a woman,_

_You tell her that she's the one_

_She needs somebody, to tell her that you'll always be together_

_So tell me have you ever really...really, really ever loved a woman_

_You've got to give her some faith,_

_Hold her tight, a little tenderness_

_You've got to treat her right_

_She will be there for you taking good care of you_

_You really gotta love your woman_

_And when you find yourself lying helpless in her arms,_

_You know you really love a woman_

_When you love a woman,_

_You tell her that she's really wanted_

_When you love a woman,_

_You tell her that she's the one_

_She needs somebody, to tell her that it's gonna last forever_

_So tell me have you ever really...really, really ever loved a woman_

"I never took you for romantic type," Harry mumbled when the song had finished as they reached Charing Cross Road.

"Pardon me for using VHS," Snape muttered. "I have about twenty years old hole in association with Muggle culture. Plus I like Marlon Brando, so did Lily. On the other hand asking Ms Granger to tag along to video store resulted in buying many, many movies which should make you feel lucky that most wizards avoid Muggle culture like plague otherwise you will have an opinion of a man going soft. Saccharine of some of them nearly finished me off… But you have to give the director that the cast was masterfully picked, that kid who played Don Juan DeMarco was quite good, I bet that we are going to hear more about him in the future."

"I'm not betting with you on anything again," Harry sighed.

Shopping with Snape polyjuiced as a normal man nearly finished Harry off. In the end Snape frowned over every gift Harry picked for Hermione and finally dragged him out from Diagon Alley into Muggle London without buying anything.

Half of hour later Harry blessed invention of credit cards for wizards living in closure to Muggles and cursed to hell and back humming Snape who at some point of time started singing the song he made Harry listen in the car in the middle of jewellery shop to which he dragged poor Harry.

"Your father seems very excited about the shopping," commented the shopkeeper.

"He isn't my father," Harry muttered. "He is my slightly demented uncle. Watched too many girl movies."

"So what you are looking for exactly?" asked the man.

"Something which says 'I know that you are a woman and should be treated as such but I'm not going to marry you kind'," Harry sighed.

"Yet?" the man chuckled.

"Maybe ever, I don't know," Harry sighed. "It's a birthday present for my very close friend. We know each other for ages and someone," he motioned with his head at Snape who started dancing with an old lady in the middle of the shop to the song Harry heard in the car, "told me that considering our age I should start to treat her like a woman not librarian."

"Bookworm," the man said curiously. "Hardest to please. Not big fans of heavy jewellery but they enjoy subtle things. Not engagement so rings aren't the best options. Necklaces perhaps, or earnings?"

"She enjoys white gold jewellery," Harry sighed.

"Birthday so nice idea would be a birthstone," the man said more to himself than to Harry. "How does she look like?"

"Like…" Harry started. "A woman?" he mumbled. "Normally I guess."

"I was asking for face, hair, eyes, things like that, though the fact if she is fat or tiny might be important a bit," the man shook his head.

"She has long brown hair," Harry said pensively. "A bit bushy if she doesn't curl them or straighten them and she rarely does. Her eyes are brown. Not to big nose, not too small, just the right kind of nose. Rosy cheeks when it gets cold but she isn't very tanned. Her smile…"

"Are you sure that you don't want to buy engagement ring?" the man interrupted him.

"I'm sure," Harry immediately sobered. "Just as you said before, something nice but not overwhelming."

"Many social occasions?" the man asked.

"Not too many but several during a year," Harry said.

"Then a complete would be good," the man said. "Not necessary a ring but a bracelet, necklace and earnings would do. What colour does she likes?"

Harry paused. Hermione often wore blue robes and clothes.

"As far as birthstones go I advice either sapphires or carnelian. Both look beautiful in white gold frames," the man said and he pointed at the transparent cabinet behind his own back.

"Uncle Sev!" Harry called. "You might stop making a show from yourself and offer some advice."

Snape thanked the lady for dance and hurried to the counter.

"I suggest sapphires," Snape said. "Red stones would look better on a woman with your hair colour."

The man pulled out from the cabinet several necklaces and earnings, after a moment he also added bracelets and rings.

Harry spotted a beautiful set with all four kinds of jewellery. It was tempting, very tempting.

"We will take this set," he said before he lost his nerve.

"With the ring?" the man asked slyly.

"No," Harry suddenly lost his nerve. "Yes," he mumbled. "I don't know," he sighed finally.

"We will take it," Snape stated calmly. "If you will lost your nerve now you can give it to her for Christmas."

"That would cost twenty thousand pounds," the man said.

"Sure," Harry nodded. "You are accepting credit cards?"

He felt uneasy as he get back into the car. The jewellery was packed into separate boxes and it was burning holes in his pockets, the most burning was the ring in left pocket of his trousers.

"What now?" he asked nervously.

"What are her favourite flowers?" Snape asked simply.

"Freesias," Harry answered instantly. "She also likes lilies of the valley. She had three of them fixed in her hair on her graduation from training."

"Average example of conjuring," Snape muttered. "Will save you some money."

"You are planning something, aren't you?" Harry asked slightly irritated.

"Nothing too big," Snape shrugged. "But I suggested to few people who know her …" Harry started to feel alarmed, "Just few people…"

"How much exactly?" Harry asked quickly.

"The Malfoys and the rest of people from kindergarten. Ms Lovegood and Mr Houseboard, your cousin, not much," Snape shrugged. "Don't look so relieved, you are going to dance."

"Dance?" Harry mumbled.

"Dance," Snape repeated. "She likes to dance and I'm preparing a party which might put Yule Ball at Hogwarts into a shame, all of them."

"Parties?" Harry sighed. "I wasn't aware that before Yule Ball in our fourth year there was another ones."

"It was annual tradition, Harry," Snape said. "Up until the year when Alice and Frank Longbottom had lost their sanity in the attack. There were also Halloween Balls, a bit smaller and less official than the ones on Yule."

"Why they didn't take place anymore?" Harry asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Snape asked sourly.

Harry blushed, it was obvious.

"I don't know how," he mumbled. "Last time Parvati was leading me like a dog on a leash."

"Don't worry," Snape chuckled. "You will get the best teacher I know."

"Whom?" Harry asked.

"Your godfather," Snape answered simply.

"It's not funny," Harry huffed.

"I think that I don't need to explain the concept of pensieve to you, do I?" Snape said sternly. "This time you will have my consent and my company in that. You will learn how to dance from a master. If there is one good thing which my younger self would admit when it come to your godfather is that he was the best dancer at Hogwarts."

"Really?" Harry asked.

"Really. Now we need to deceive the lady while we are hiding her presents and ensure that she won't come to watch your lessons," Snape quipped.

"That's a good question," Harry snorted. "Where I should put it so she won't see it until her birthday?" he asked.

"Old Chinese proverb says 'the darkest spot is always under the lamp'. I believe that one of her drawers should do nicely. Just don't put it in plain view, personally I suggest the drawer with jumpers. I will distract her and you are going to hide it," Snape answered simply.

Being on the run was easier than evading Hermione, Harry observed during the dinner. He tried to leave her sight seven times and every single one of them she came looking for him. Finally salvation came in form of Houseboard who dropped by and busied Hermione with the asking for advice. Harry excused himself with mountains of essays he needed to correct and left as quickly as possible.

He took small detour through Teddy's room where his godson and Duncan were playing under Dudley's watchful eye. He used the same excuse and asked Dudley to put Teddy to bed if he wouldn't finish before it was bedtime for the boys.

Snape was in his room, Regulus's old bedroom which he found suitable to his taste even if by now he could pick any other bedroom. He was standing over pensive with a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Good you decided to join," Snape commented. "In you go, I will join you in a moment."

Harry experienced, now familiar, feeling of falling into a pensieve. He was in Great Hall decorated for Yule Ball. He glanced around, looking for Snape, he found him, at least younger version, leaning against the wall, eyes fixed on a red head in billowing green dress and her partner, dressed in terrible turquoise robes.

"Clashing, aren't they?" Snape asked from Harry's left. "Don't worry you will not need to burn your eyes out after watching that, unless you want to look at it from their perspective. But business first and pleasure later. Look closer to the right."

"Pink and purple?" Harry asked.

"What I said about colours in the shop?" Snape snorted. "Do you see flamenco dancer?"

"The one in red dress and with red flowers in her hair?" Harry asked as he spotted her.

She was truly beautiful. Her long, curly, jet-black hair were pulled in a lousy knot with two rich, red flowers twined into it. Her scarlet dress was billowing around her as she was dancing and she was dancing like it was the only thing she did in her life.

Snape snapped his fingers in front of his eyes as he snorted, "Focus, you are here to learn, not to stare."

"Who is she?" Harry asked curiously as he turned to look at the older man.

"You mean that you didn't recognise her?" Snape asked.

"No," Harry shook his head.

"Come to think about it what a good dress does it to a woman," Snape muttered, more to himself than to Harry. "Let's get closer. Maybe then you will recognise her."

They got closer to the dancer, they were standing hardly five feet away from her. She looked in their direction and that's when Harry recognised her. There was only one woman he knew who could have violet eyes which were sparkling with mirth.

"That's Mirzam?" Harry mumbled to Snape.

"In all her Spanish glory," Snape nodded.

"She was Spanish?" Harry turned to look at the older man.

"Verascez isn't common surname in United Kingdom, Harry. It isn't very common surname in Spain either but young Mirzam Verascez, eleventh year old one at least, was talking with slightly Spanish accent when she was talking passionately about something. As she grew up it rarely resurfaced but if you really pissed her off her temperament got the better of her," Snape explained. "Ah, here comes the Master."

Harry followed Snape's glance to the man dressed in black suit, it wasn't normal suit or tail-coat. On the top of his head was flat hat.

"What's he wearing?" Harry asked.

"Typical official Spanish clothes for a man," Snape explained. "Short jacket. Long sash instead of a belt. And the hat."

"Who is he?" Harry asked curiously.

"Take a closer look," Snape sighed.

Longish jet-black hair were pulled back and held by a black ribbon. Spanish moustaches looked great but Harry couldn't guess whom the man was. He seemed familiar and that's the only thing Harry was sure.

"Tu padrino," Snape muttered.

"Pardon?" Harry mumbled.

"Spanish," Snape explained. "Tu means your, padrino means godfather."

"You know Spanish?" Harry asked curiously.

"Por supuesto, usted niño ignorante," Snape answered. "Mi Prince abuela era medio española, medio italiana. Digo el español y el italiano con soltura. Ella era un profesor muy bueno y paciente."

The only thing which Harry really understood from what Snape said was Prince and ignorante.

"Je parle aussi le français couramment, parce que mon autre grand-mère était demi-française," Snape continued. "Ich lernte Deutsch, weil ich vermutete, dass mein deutscher Lieferant von Kraut mich beschwindelte. Моя дружба с Каркароффом позволила мне изучать русский язык, который я говорю весьма хорошее рассмотрение, что я никогда не был в России," Snape continued switching the languages with great ease.

"I didn't understand a word," Harry sighed.

"Naturalmente você não fez!. Ensino várias línguas não fez o currículo de Hogwarts há tempos," Snape said.

"Is it Spanish?" Harry asked curiously.

"Portuguese," Snape corrected him. "Spanish, French, German and Russian."

"How many languages you speak?" Harry asked in awe.

"Fluently – four: Spanish, Italian, French and German. Very good in Portuguese. Good in Russian. I used to read in Hebrew when I was younger, courtesy to your madrina who was my partner in Ancient Runes project in our sixth year. She was very fluent linguist," Snape sighed. "El último que él alguna vez la vio, ella se reía de él, andando abajo la calle. Su pelo volaba como un loco alrededor de su cara y ella sonreía tan alegremente. Lamentaré matarla hasta el día muero," he added softly.

"Puedo tener este baile?" Sirius asked cheerfully as he got closer to Mirzam.

"Si," she answered.

"What did he said?" Harry asked.

"He said: peudo tener este baile," Snape said.

"In English?" Harry sighed.

"He asked her to dance with him," Snape explained. "Go ahead and watch them dance."

Snape left for a while and Harry watched them dance to a slow songs. Sirius was looking at Mirzam as if she was the only woman on earth.

"Usted es la mujer más hermosa que alguna vez vi. Su pelo parece al ala de cuervos. Sus ojos son el par más asombroso de lirios que alguna vez vi en mi vida. Yo podría gastar una vida que baila con usted," Sirius said softly.

Harry understood nothing. Great, in a moment when he was allowed to watch his godfather and his girlfriend they just had to talk in a language he didn't know.

When Snape came back he made Harry follow their dance over and over until Harry stopped stepping on his shoes.

"Tango will be tomorrow," Snape said when it was time to retire to bed.

"Thank you for teaching me," Harry gave him small smile.

"Nunca antes no enseñado un ignorante como usted. Pero alguien tiene que andar en los zapatos de su padrino en aquella materia y enseñarle como bailar," Snape sighed. "Buenas noches."

"Goodnight," Harry answered.

He went to his bedroom and fell asleep within two minutes.

He woke up in the middle of a ballroom to his utmost shock.

"Venga, Harry. Le enseñaré como bailar el Tango," said Mirzam, who was suddenly kneeling by his side. She was wearing the same dress she wore in Snape's memory from the ball.

"I understood Harry and Tango," Harry said sheepishly.

"I will teach you how to dance Tango," Mirzam said with a small smile. "You are hopeless, you know."

"Tell me about it," he sighed as she pulled him into standing position. "What means: Usted es la mujer más hermosa que alguna vez vi. Su pelo parece al ala de cuervos. Sus ojos son el par más asombroso de lirios que alguna vez vi en mi vida. Yo podría gastar una vida que baila con usted," he asked, knowing that he lost accents on the words.

"It was a compliment about my hair and eyes," Mirzam giggled. "And a threat that he would spend a lifetime at dancing with me."

"I never know that Sirius knew Spanish," Harry admitted.

"He spoke French fluently before I meet him," Mirzam said. "And since I was able to insult Black family back into Middle Ages in Spanish he made his goal to learn Spanish too. He was smart but incredibly lazy when it came to learning something new."

"How is he now?" Harry asked curiously. "I didn't saw him for few weeks."

"Right now he is having a good laugh," Mirzam said with a smile. "Severus put him in a good mood. Actually this dancing lesson was his idea if you want to know. Even in afterlife he wants to beat Snape."

"Then why he isn't here?" Harry asked.

"He is a man," Mirzam snickered. "Men don't dance with each other. Besides you need to know how to hold a woman while you dance."

So they danced. After stepping on Mirzam's shoes several times he just started to follow her movements and listen to her advices.

If he was sincere with himself he was having great fun with her. Part of him regretted that she wasn't part of his life. Maybe if Mirzam was alive and Sirius was free he wouldn't make a fool of himself at Yule Ball and would actually have fun. Mirzam would teach him how to dance and Sirius would teach him how to compliment a woman.

_Would Hermione expect compliments during the dance?_

"How I can compliment a woman without making a fool of myself?" he asked suddenly.

"There is a one grand rule," he heard a chuckled behind his back and as he turned in this direction he saw grinning Sirius. "Speak the truth and let your heart chose the words for you."

"If you want to impress her you might use a foreign language as long as she knows it," Mirzam added.

"I suggest French, magnet for girls. Language of love," Sirius snickered.

"Vous êtes beaux. You are beautiful," Mirzam said. "Plain and older than time itself but still works."

"Vos yeux brillent comme les diamants," Sirius added. "Your eyes shine like diamonds. "Good compliment to her dancing skills would be: je veux danser avec vous pour toujours."

"But most important, be yourself," Mirzam added. "Dance but don't count your footsteps, let the music carry you. Be natural."

"Easy for you to say," Harry mumbled. "You danced for ages."

"Just listen to the lady, Harry," Sirius chuckled.

So he danced … and danced … and danced … and danced. The urge to dance was so strong that he danced his way to the bathroom and later to the kitchen. He managed to stop himself from dancing when Hermione came down the stairs, she wasn't supposed to know anything about party.

Luckily Hermione didn't stay long, Narcissa came and hauled her to Malfoy Manor, supposedly to help in rearranging the manor but she gave Snape a wink and that's when Harry knew that getting Hermione out of the house was his idea.

As soon as Hermione was out Snape hauled Harry and Dudley to the ballroom. Teddy and Duncan crawled around them as the three of them started quarrelling about arranging the ballroom to look presentable. Main issue between Snape and Dudley was the tables and where they were supposed to stand. When they started quarrelling about the colours of table-clothes Harry retreated with the boys to the kitchen.

Snape and Kreacher were mostly done with food for the party, cake included but Harry knew what Hermione loved. He tried it last year because the recipe for it sounded delicious and he prepared it for small dinner they had together last year.

Strawberry sherbet with vodka ice cubes. After Kreacher and Harry peeled off the leafs and stems Teddy and Duncan happily smashed strawberries into tiny pieces, of course Harry needed to make sure that most of strawberries were properly squashed before he was done with it. But when he finished he happily noted that it looked as amazing as it was last year.

After mountains of strawberry sherbet were moved to the ballroom (under statis charm because he didn't want it to melt before the party) bickering duo were done with arranging the tables. The design of the ballroom had Harry gapping for two minutes straight.

Formerly dusty room was practically sparkling. All silver was polished so well that he could use it instead of a mirror and the chandelier looked amazing.

"Are these real diamonds?" he asked nervously as he pointed at the chandelier.

"Zirconium," Snape shook his head. "Cheaper but looks like diamonds."

"Looks stunning," Harry whispered. "You've done great job here."

"What about you?" Dudley asked.

Harry pointed at the table and added, "Not for kids, alcoholic. I saved some normal sherbet for them too."

"Time for dancing lessons," Snape stated.

**H. G.**

Hermione felt a bit uncomfortable. Her birthday was tomorrow but in so far she hadn't witnessed any preparations for the party. Last year Harry prepared small dinner for both of them but even if he tried his best to make a surprise from it she still found out before he seated her at the table. This year, nothing.

Even at Hogwarts Harry and Ron were very easy to read when it came to her birthday and Christmas presents. She always knew beforehand without much of an effort what they bought for her and she wasn't nosy, they were hopeless with hiding places. This year, nothing.

But maybe she was just being irrational. Harry was so busy that he probably forgot about her birthday and he will have an epiphany tomorrow morning. In a way it was cute if a bit irritating. Logically Harry was allowed to forget, he was working so hard for last few weeks that even a total ignorant would see how thin Harry got in a matter of two weeks. He ate, quite a lot for himself, more than he used to eat at Hogwarts but he was moving around constantly.

Teddy, classes, kindergarten, homework to correct, potions to make. She was blessing the fact that correcting homework required from Harry sitting on his bum for a while. Potions were made under Snape's watchful eye but even then Harry was bouncing all around the kitchen. Sometimes watching Snape's horrified expression was funny because when they were preparing Dreamless Sleep Potion – very delicate and time-consuming potion – Harry kept bouncing between the cauldron and Teddy.

_Focus Hermione, listen to Narcissa_, her rational side suggested.

"I'm worried about Holly and Theresa Hawthorn," Narcissa said. "Their living arrangements are terrible. It bothers me greatly, Hermione. They are Muggle-borns. Their father had died in a car crash shortly before they were born, their mother had died in childbirth and that grandmother of theirs."

"What about her?" Hermione asked.

"Alzheimer I think, she was fine four years ago when the court had released the girls into her care but now … Merlin," Narcissa shook her head. "They eat in the kindergarten and they come to it only because it's around the corner. I visited them yesterday. They sleep in a bathtub and that woman … I checked twice, she is their grandmother but she thinks that they aren't her granddaughters."

"Do they have another living relatives?" Hermione asked in concern.

"She is the last one," Narcissa sighed. "I don't know what to do. I shouldn't try to separate a family but on the other hand finding a proper family for the girls would be beneficent to their future."

"Would you like to have a tea tomorrow, at Grimmauld Place?" Hermione asked suddenly.

If Harry didn't want to spend her birthday with her she would find her own guests.

"I would love to, Hermione," Narcissa said kindly. "But tomorrow I'm terribly busy. I need to check upon the girls and then Lucius and I are going out for a promised dinner with the Parkinsons. Draco promised to help the Abbots in renovation. I'm terribly sorry but we won't be able to make it."

"That's no problem," Hermione answered with the straightest face she could muster.

Well, there were other people who wouldn't mind spending time with her.

Three hours later she felt positively awful. Houseboard was leaving to Paris in the evening for a conference tomorrow, Luna was going with him and both of them wouldn't be able to make it. Hannah indeed had problem with the house, she even showed Hermione the dreadful hole in the roof. Neville was going to be very busy with potting new shipment of herbs, something which couldn't wait. Other people from kindergarten were busy with various things, all of them were incredibly important to them even if they seemed plainly ridiculous to her.

It was going to be great birthday, she snorted as she plopped on her bed. Harry was acting as if he was suffering from amnesia. Snape was busy with himself, Dudley who during last two weeks spent more time at Grimmauld Place than in his own flat suddenly needed to talk with his landlord about problems with the toilet. Plainly ridiculous.

But the worse thing from all was Harry's present. Oh yes, she found it. Mr Smart had put it under her pillow and she couldn't resist taking a peek.

'_How to make yourself look sexy so all men are going to run after you?'_ If she didn't love him as much as she did she would have hexed him into Australia for that present. After recovering from first shock she came to conclusion that it was a joke and Harry finally learned how to keep things from her. So she cast several revealing charms but the book remained the same.

At least Teddy was himself, she sighed. She was in really foul mood.

Her mother used to say that the best medicament for bad mood was a shopping trip or a new hairdo. Shopping was out of question, she had the key to Harry's vault but she refused to buy herself a gift from Harry's money. Though she spotted a pair of wonderful shoes on Bond Street… High-heels in her favourite kind of blue, she tried them on last week when she was shopping with Snape. She needed a pair of plain black shoes but when she saw the blue one she couldn't resist. But when it come to paying for shoes rational Hermione put the high-heels aside and paid for what she come for even if girl Hermione was trying to persuade her to buy them.

It wasn't that the high-heels wouldn't be great, they would be great if she had matching dress for them and just looking and the price of it was making her head spin. Besides, rationally where she would go dressed up like that. Theatre – maybe. Some Ministry gala – possibly. They were clothes for a occasions and she rationally decided to not care about it.

Hairdresser and maybe beautician then. She could spoil herself for once at reasonable price.

**H. ****B.**

It was hard to not notice Hermione's new hairdo but to not spoil the surprise tomorrow Harry ignored it the best to his ability. But softly curled chin long hair and curly fringe looked amazing on Hermione's head. Plus there was something on her face which suggested that Hermione had meet a beautician because … _just because_, his gut told him.

The fact that Hermione tried to get his attention didn't went unnoticed either. She was playing with her hair, practically _begging_ him to say something.

"Do I look well?" she asked playfully.

"You look great," Harry said truthfully and immediately added. "This shirt was made for you, Hermione."

His compliment had meet small frown in return. An expectant look had settled on Snape who was busy at feeding Teddy with Broccoli.

"Blue colour matches you perfectly," Snape said without looking at Hermione.

Bad move, Harry could play dumb but Snape with his past of a spy could not. That statement had earned even deeper frown.

"I know," Harry said cheerfully. "You have new eyeliner. I bet that's new."

Hermione groaned. She finished dinner with them before she retired to the library to study.

Wasting no time Harry went to his dancing lessons.

**Last story posted before March - I have lots of exams on my head and lets face it bronchit takes fun out of everything (and yeah I'm a looser who ended on antibiotics just before New Year's Eve and we all know that antibiotics = no alcohol for you). Though this story might be facing a major rewrite once I have some free time left for me (which won't happen before I will pass all of my exams).**


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